Last week, Twitch announced changes to its hateful conduct and harassment policy, including disallowing the use of terms such as “simp,” “incel,” and “virgin” when used in a derogatory fashion.

The new policy will start on January 22 and is effectively an update to Twitch’s evolving hateful conduct guidelines. To that end, Twitch says it will “look at the content of statements or actions in order to determine whether a behavior is abusive and violates our guidelines, rather than relying solely on perceived intent,” suggesting the company hopes to shut down bad actors who feign ignorance of unclear guidelines.

Using terms like 'simp,' 'incel,' and 'virgin' as an insult—to negatively refer to another person's sexual activity—is not allowed under this new policy," Twitch COO Sara Clemens said during a Twitch townhall stream. "In addition to the policy change, we're also proactively denying emotes that include the term 'simp.' And we remove them when reported, and we'll keep doing that once the policy changes."

Twitch also updated its hateful conduct and harassment policy page with a new section on sexual harassment. Twitch notes that sexual harassment can take a multitude of forms, including “unwelcome sexual advances and solicitations, sexual objectification, or degrading attacks relating to a person’s perceived sexual practices, regardless of their gender.”

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Twitch’s policy also includes more particular acts of sexual harassment, including privately messaging a user with unwanted compliments about their appearance, stating a person is sexually immoral because of their clothing or physical appearance, and the aforementioned use of the word “virgin” as well as “whore.”

Other notable inclusions are:

• Degrading another person by accusing them of having a sexually transmitted disease.

• Suggesting a person’s channel is popular only because of sexual favors.

• Using the whisper function to send unwanted sexual comments to another user.

• Commenting on someone’s sexual prowess or lack thereof.

• Threats of releasing revenge pornography.

You can read the full policy here.

Twitch’s policy states that it will look at a streamer’s actions when considering disciplinary actions against another user. This basically means that if a streamer has previously banned you from their channel, given you a timeout, or previously reported your behavior, that will be added to the case against you if Twitch moderators become involved.

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Twitch’s other hateful conduct and harassment policy include rules about posting racially discriminatory language and imagery.

The word “simp” has developed into a derogatory term for a man who is overly desperate for the affection of another person, particularly a woman. It follows in the footsteps of terms like “white knight,” which describes a man who exhibits an overeagerness to defend a woman’s reputation. Ironically, “simp” has become somewhat interchangeable, with some people using it as a way to mock any form of professional or personal admiration.

“Incel” (or “involuntary celibate”) has had a similar although not identical trajectory as a slur. The incel movement began as an online subculture of men who expressed frustration at not being able to find sexual or romantic partners, which developed a trend of resentment and misogyny directed towards sexually liberated individuals. Much like “simp,” it too has become a sort of catch-all insult for people perceived as sexually lacking.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Sure, Fortnite may have its Winterfest, and Overwatch has its Winter Wonderland, but Vikings? Vikings practically invented the winter solstice, and Ubisoft is showing that off in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s free holiday update, dubbed the “Yule Festival.”

Valhalla’s Yule Festival runs from December 17 to January 7, letting players collect some free cosmetics and play around with some new activities. Note: You’ll have to complete one story arc (either Grantebridgescire or Ledecestrescire) to access the Yule Festival.

The first thing players will likely notice is the expansion to Ravensthorpe, the settlement that players establish as Eivor early on in the game. The area is much snowier as a result of the winter solstice, and the settlement has been decorated in preparation for festivities.

Side activities include drunk brawls (the best kind), archery challenges, and others. Players who play throughout the activities will receive “Yule tokens” to exchange for cosmetic rewards, like new outfits for Eivor.

Here’s the full list of Yule rewards.

• Mōdraniht Ceremonial Outfit

• Mōdraniht Tattoo Set

• Mōdraniht Ceremonial Seax

• Mōdraniht Ceremonial Shield

• Traditional Yule Garland

• Sacrificial Altar

• Ritual Tree Ornaments

• Cozy Fire Pit

• Yule Beech Tree

Starting December 22, players can also purchase the Niflheim theme in the Ubisoft store, which includes a stunningly blue set of winter armor, a reindeer steed, and even turns your crow into a little ice dragon.

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Players who have an artistic side can try their hand at Valhalla’s community contest. Players can submit a photo or a video for a chance to win Valhalla’s official art book and 50 euros worth of in-game Helix credits. That runs from December 17 to January 1. Details can be found on the official Assassin’s Creed Discord or Twitter.

Ubisoft says Yule season will continue into February as well, with a new replayable River Raid mode and the addition of ranks to the Jomsvikings recruits you meet during your adventures. As if that weren't enough, the real-life village of Ravensthorpe (located in England's Northamptonshire and sporting a hearty population of approximately 500-600 people) will be offering an Assassin's Creed Valhalla-themed takeaway menu to patrons at the local Chequers Pub. So get your fill if you feel like making the drive to the countryside, although don't expect to find any actual vikings. Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt told Eurogamer that the game's settlement being so similar to the real-life town is a total coincidence.

If you need to rush to get into the Yule Festival, check out IGN’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla wiki, where you’ll find an entire walkthrough, tips for beginners, and guides for all the best weapons and armor and more. Thankfully, Ubisoft’s latest patch has also fixed up a number of bugs, making for a smoother axe-swinging experience.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/true Saxon for IGN.

Amazon Studios has released the first look at Coming 2 America, the sequel to 1988's Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy. It was revealed in 2019 that a sequel to Coming to America was happening with a cast that included Wesley Snipes, Murphy, and more, and now, a little over a year later, we have our first look at Murphy and the cast in their respective roles for the first time in over 30 years. You can take a look at Murphy's King Akeem and Arsenio Hall's Semmi, and others, in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=coming-2-america-first-look&captions=true"] "Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York — where it all began," a press release for the film reads. The sequel was reconfirmed in October when Murphy announced that the project was officially moving forward with Empire director, Craig Brewer, set to direct. Murphy will be joined by Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Snipes, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nonzamo Mbatha, and Bella Murphy. The Coming 2 America screenplay comes by way of Kenya Barris (Black-ish, Girls Trip), Barry W. Blaustein (Coming to America), and David Sheffield (Coming to America), with a story by Blaustein, Sheffield, and Justin Kanew. Murphy and Kevin Misher will produce the film with Brian Oliver, Bradley Fischer, Valerii An, Barris, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Michele Imperato Stabile, and Andy Berman set to executive produce the film. Ruth E. Carter will be handling costumes for the movie. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/best-movie-of-the-year-2020-nominees"] Coming 2 America will be released exclusively by Amazon Studios on Amazon Prime Video on March 5, 2021. Check out these 13 movie sequels that took forever and then check out IGN's list of the best 80s action movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Nintendo is focusing on existing Switch models rather than the heavily-rumored Switch Pro, according to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser. In a new interview with Polygon, Bowser touched on the rumors of a Switch Pro and whether or not the company is looking at a refreshed Switch with more powerful hardware down the line. He said the success of the current models, the Switch and the Switch Lite, allow the company to view life cycles differently and that Nintendo's focus is on the momentum of those models at the moment. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-nintendo-exclusives-of-2020&captions=true"] "It allows us to manage the life cycle differently, I would say," Bowser told Polygon when asked about the success of the Switch and whether or not it gives the company time for a model refresh if needed. "I think that's the easiest way to put it. Right now, with the momentum that we have, our focus will be on the existing form factors." Bowser also spoke to the rumors that Nintendo may be holding back certain yet-to-come titles for a rumored Switch Pro model and according to the Nintendo of America president, the company is currently leaning into what it sees as a "very strong lineup for this holiday." He also said Nintendo will continue to release content on a "regular cadence year-round" and that there's a lot more to come that will be released when it's ready. When pressed further by Polygon about a future hardware refresh, Bowser said Nintendo is changing the trajectory of the console life cycle with the Switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/26/nintendo-switch-lite-review"] "However, we also see right now [...] that the momentum on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite in the fourth year is strong," he said. "And we believe we're changing the trajectory of another typical console life cycle. And we will continue, for the foreseeable future, to really lean into both of those platforms and the content that comes with it, because it's the symbiotic relationship that makes the real difference. And it's why Nintendo Switch is so differentiated." Bowser also said the company is always looking at technology and whether or not it can "enhance and improve the gameplay experience." Whether that can be done on a current platform or a future one, Nintendo is always looking into it, he said. The rumors of a Switch Pro began in 2019 where it was believed by some that the Pro could arrive in 2020, but Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said back in January that the company would not release a new Switch model in 2020. Then, in August, a new report claimed that a new Switch model — believed to be the Pro — would launch in 2021. Bowser's comments could seem to contradict that report so we'll have to wait and see what 2021 brings. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

DC's monthly Nightwing comic will resume in March 2021, and it's got quite the creative team attached. Injustice: Gods Among Us and Suicide Squad's Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo will take over the series beginning with Nightwing #78. Though DC isn't relaunching Nightwing with a new #1 issue, the series will still offer a fresh jumping-on point, as Dick Grayson forges a new path for himself following the events of Joker War and recovering from his amnesia. Taylor and Redondo's run will focus heavily on the dynamic between Nightwing and Batgirl, and also deal with Dick's struggle to accept the fact that a relative of Tony Zucco (the mobster who murdered his parents) is now mayor of Bludhaven. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at Nightwing #78 and Dick Grayson's new three-legged canine sidekick, and then read on for exclusive commentary from Taylor: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=a-new-day-dawns-for-dick-grayson-in-nightwing-78&captions=true"] "I’ve always been a huge Nightwing fan (despite, awkwardly, killing him twice in DCeased and Injustice)," Taylor told IGN. "Having been a professional juggler, performer, and fire-eater, and having spent years doing circus training, I like to think I have a pretty unique perspective on Dick Grayson. I’ve always considered Nightwing an A-list DC hero. This series is about showing that. It’s about putting Dick Grayson back on that pedestal where he belongs." Taylor continued, "While there’s definitely an evolution here, it’s an evolution built on embracing the past. It’s about taking everything Bruno Redondo, [colorist] Adriano Lucas, [letterer] Wes Abbott, [editor] Jessica Chen and I love about Nightwing, and testing him in a completely new way. It’s about seeing how Dick reacts when faced with impossible odds, and with the life-changing opportunity that comes his way in our very first issue. Also… it’s about giving him a puppy." Taylor also confirmed the Batgirl in question is Barbara Gordon. Barbara is going through changes of her own in the aftermath of Joker War, and the series will feature her both as Batgirl and Oracle. "I’ve always loved their relationship," said Taylor. "There aren’t many characters who know each other so well. They’ve been through so much together, respect each other, and have always been there to support one another. They’re not Batman and Robin. There’s no side-kick here. They’re equals in every way and Babs will be a big part of our story, as Batgirl and as Oracle. Bruno and I have told some huge stories with giant casts between Injustice, Star Wars and Suicide Squad, and we’re very excited to focus on a smaller cast and imbue this book with as much heart and hope as we can." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/22/titans-nightwing-debuts-in-season-2-finale-teaser-trailer"] Despite the more intimate approach to the series, Taylor teases some big conflicts to come for Dick and Barbara, as well as a bit of interplay with the other titles in the Batman family. "We have a big story planned for Nightwing, and it’s all centered in Blüdhaven," said Taylor. "This is about Nightwing’s home, not Batman’s. This is about Dick’s crusade and the people beside him as he pushes against the impossible. It’s about him fighting for the soul of his city. While his past will come back to haunt him with the name ‘Zucco’, this is definitely a story for the future. Some life-changing and character-defining events are coming for Dick Grayson." Taylor continued, "All that said, everyone in the Gotham group are keeping in close contact with regular face-to-face meetings, and we have big plans for 2021 and beyond. It was great to see some of my favorite people in comics at our first Bat-meeting. This is a group of people with good hearts who love comics and are going to be telling some brilliant bat-stories. I’m really honored to join them and to be a part of the Bat-family’s future." Nightwing #78 will hit stores in March 2021. In other recent DC news, Joker is getting his first ongoing series in 45 years and Brian Michael Bendis may be taking over Justice League. Also be sure to check out IGN's nominees for the best comic book series of 2020 and vote in our reader's choice poll. [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.

Netflix has announced that Shadow and Bone, a new original series, will premiere globally on the streamer in April 2021. Based on Leigh Bardugo's worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, the series will explore a world that is cleaved in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness, where unnatural creatures feast on human flesh, and a young soldier uncovers a power that might finally unite her country, though it may take more than magic to survive, as dangerous forces start to plot against her. Jessie Mei Li will star as Alina Starkov, the central protagonist, alongside Archie Renaux as Malyen Oretsev, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Amita Suman as Inej, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, and Ben Barnes who will portray General Kirigan in the upcoming series, which is coming from Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment, together with Eric Heisserer, Leigh Bardugo, Pouya Shahbazian, and Lee Toland Krieger.

You and I are going to change the world. Shadow and Bone is coming April 2021, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/5Z8cONCdJD

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) December 17, 2020

The eight-episode series will combine the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, both of which exist in the same universe, but take place across different timelines, meaning that fans of the fantasy book series' will be able to witness the two stories come together to form a new cohesive narrative, with "certain characters meeting certain other characters" from the two different timelines. "We've taken the stories of Shadow and Bone and the characters of Six of Crows and we've brought them together in what I think will be a really unexpected way," Bardugo said of the upcoming Shadow and Bone series. "Eric [Heisserer] and our writers' room and our directors have built something entirely new that still somehow stays true to the characters and to the heart of the stories. "Eric took two fantasy series — with powers and creatures and horrors and heists — and molded them into this cohesive, incredible thing. I don't think I could've been more lucky in the person that we found to hand the keys over to. It wasn't just the keys to a book or one series, it was a whole world I had been working on for the better part of my career." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/new-to-netflix-december-2020"] Bardugo, the bestselling author of the two fantasy book series' on which the Netflix series is based, also explained why she thinks the show will appeal to both longtime fans of the books as well as brand new viewers, saying that audiences are going to "encounter a world that feels fully realized" yet unlike "any place they've been before." "When I was on set, I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay in that world longer," she said. "When you start an endeavor like this, you don't know what's going to happen. To have your expectations surpassed, to see magic on top of magic, and to see things come to life in a way that is bigger and more beautiful than you ever could have hoped, it's impossible to fathom." Over the years, Netflix has garnered a reputation for spending enormous amounts of money to secure original streaming content for its platform in a bid to stay ahead of its competitors in the increasingly crowded streaming landscape. In fact, it was projected earlier this year that Netflix would be spending $17.3 billion on new content for 2020, up from $15.3 billion last year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-10-best-reviewed-shows-on-netflix-in-2020&captions=true"] For more on Netflix's entertainment offerings, check out everything that is new to the platform this month. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Update: Red Candle Games says it "won't stop striving" after GOG unexpectedly delists Devotion.

A glitch is letting Nintendo Switch Among Us players try the new Airship map early. As we can see in this GameXplain video, there's a trick Nintendo Switch players can use to tour the new map early, even though it isn't necessarily in a playable state. Here's how to do it, step-by-step:

• Hit 'Local' on the main menu and create your own game
• Select the 'Airship' map via the laptop
• Exit the lobby, then hit 'Online' and host a room without choosing a map
• You can then load into the Airship map once four players join

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/among-us-toppat-airship-map-reveal-trailer"] Given that the Airship map is currently scheduled for Early 2021, a lot of the new map is not feature-complete, and you may experience glitches when you're touring it. Even so, it might be worth a look before it gets patched out, so you can learn the unfinished layout and get an advantage on your friends next year. Among Us launched on Nintendo Switch on Monday as part of Nintendo's Indie World presentation. For the full rundown of all the games revealed during the show, check out our handy roundup, which features Spelunky 2, Cyber Shadow, and more. For more details on the Airship map, you can check out our coverage of the trailer from The Game Awards 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Supergiant Games has announced that Hades now supports cross-save between PC and Nintendo Switch.

Hermes is here with some good news: Our Cross-Saves update for HADES is out now on Nintendo Switch!

Please read the in-game Help & Info section for details. This update also includes various other improvements from our post-launch PC patches. #HadesGame #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/UgwBRQsUOo — Supergiant Games (@SupergiantGames) December 16, 2020

In an announcement tweet, the developer revealed that the system is now live and allows both to and from saves between platforms, meaning you can interchange between Switch and PC at will and continue playing the same save file. When quitting the game, your PC client (Steam or Epic Game Store) or Switch will sync your save with the cloud, allowing it to then be used on another platform. It has been noted that if you have separate saves on PC and Switch, and they are both in the same slot, then it would be wise to transfer your PC save to a different slot. This is to prevent one save overwriting another and deleting one of your progress files. You can transfer your PC save to a different slot by renaming the save file, for example from Profile1.sav to Profile2.sav. These files will be stored in a folder on your PC - usually the Saved Games folder in Documents - but this may vary depending on how you customized your installation. Full details are in the Help & Info section of the cross-save menu. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/17/hades-review"] If you've not begun your descent into hell in Hades, then we highly recommend it. Our Hades review gave it a big 9/10, and we love it enough for it to be in the running for IGN's Game of the Year 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Google Stadia is now playable on iPhone and iPad through the Safari web browser. iOS users with the latest system firmware can head to Stadia.Google.com, log in to their account and start playing, regardless of whether they are on a free or paid subscription to Google's game streaming service. On the Stadia homepage in Safari, it's recommended that users tap the share button and then tap 'Add to Home Screen' so that it functions more like a web app and less like a browser page when you open it from the home page of your iOS device.

Stadia is now available on iOS devices! Yes, you read that right. Starting today, you can sign into https://t.co/AoYhdVnzGu on your Safari iOS browser and begin playing your favorite games. Try it for yourself today! pic.twitter.com/iQhoAu8NtX

— Stadia (@GoogleStadia) December 16, 2020

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/cyberpunk-2077-21-minutes-of-google-stadia-gameplay-1080p-settings"] This is the first time Google Stadia games have been playable on iOS devices since the launch of the service in November 2019. The Stadia app has been available on iOS for some time, but it only lets users set up an account or manage settings while they play. Google has been hamstrung by Apple's App Store Game Streaming Services policy, which is why it is using a web app as a workaround, rather than delivering functionality to the app itself. In other Google news, Gmail, YouTube, Pokemon GO, Google Docs, Stadia and more Google services briefly suffered an outage earlier this week. If you're interested in checking the service out, Cyberpunk 2077 is available on Google Stadia right now. Here are 21 minutes of gameplay at 1080p. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.