Now Available for Preorder: Black Series Mandalorian Electronic Helmet
UPDATE 11/10/2020: The Hasbro Star Wars Black Series Mandalorian electronic helmet is now available for preorder at Amazon.
Life-size helmets have always been hot ticket items in the Star Wars collecting community, and Hasbro's Black Series line is pretty much the best bang for buck option around. Now Hasbro is adding another iconic helmet to that lineup - the Mandalorian himself.
IGN can exclusively debut the Black Series: The Mandalorian Electronic Helmet, which is due to hit stores in Spring 2021. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at this upcoming release, along with new photos of the Din Djarin and The Child Build-Up Pack.
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The Mandalorian Electronic Helmet is a 1:1 scale recreation of Din Djarin's ever-present helmet, complete with a weathered, metallic paint scheme. Like the rest of the Black Series helmets, it's fully wearable and features foam padding and adjustable fittings. The helmet also includes a removable tactical light and red interior lights, both of which are powered by a single AA battery.
The Mandalorian Electronic Helmet is priced at $119.99 and is available to pre-order now on Amazon.
As for the Din Djarin/The Child set, this 2-pack release is notable for being the first Mandalorian figure to feature an unmasked head sculpt. It's also by far the most full-featured Mandalorian release from Hasbro to date, with nine accessories including Baby Yoda's hover pram, a removable jet pack and Beskar metal slabs.
The Din Djarin & The Child Build-Up Pack is priced at $34.99 and should be released on December 1, 2020. It's available to pre-order exclusively through Target.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/07/the-mandalorian-season-2-ep-2s-side-mission-means-more-than-you-think"]
This isn't the first time Hasbro has teased some drool-worthy new collectibles as part of the Mando Mondays promotion. They recently showed off The Mandalorian Retro Collection, with sculpts inspired by the original Kenner Star Wars figures.
For more on The Mandalorian, check out IGN's review of the Season 2 premiere and brush up on Ahsoka Tano's story prior to her rumored live-action debut.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
PS5 Games Can’t Be Installed or Played on External Storage Right Now
Update: A new PS5 FAQ covers the current issues with storing PS5 games on an external USB hard drive, saying a future update could allow that process.
"No, players cannot transfer PS5 games to a USB drive," reads the answer to a question titled 'Can I store or play PS5 games from a USB drive?'. "PS5 games must be stored on the console’s internal ultra-high speed SSD for gameplay. Explorations for allowing players to store (but not play) PS5 games on a USB drive in a future update are underway."
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PlayStation 5 currently doesn't allow you to install, store or play next-gen games anywhere other than its internal SSD.
As noted by Digital Foundry, next-gen games can't be played from an external drive, and the console currently offers no options to move your PS5 games into external storage. When the internal SSD is filled, the only option given is to delete games to free up space.
It's concerning given that the console comes with a relatively slim 667GB of usable storage space, and doesn't support SSD external storage (which could presumably play next-gen games) at launch. No window has been given for when an update will allow SSD storage.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"]
Xbox Series X also cannot play next-gen games on anything other than its internal SSD and (expensive) approved external drive – but unlike PS5 it does offer the option to store games on external hard drives and transfer them back to the SSD without a lengthy download process. PS5 does allow PS4 games to be moved between internal and external storage.
For more on PS5, we also have news on why PS5 doesn't seem to have custom themes, what its new Activity Cards are for, how the Create button differs from the PS4 Share button, and you can read our full PS5 console review. And if you're interested in the PS5's launch lineup, check out our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review and our Astro's Playroom review.
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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.
Xbox Reportedly Looking to Buy Japanese Developers
Xbox is reportedly looking to purchase Japanese game development studios, and has been in contact with both small and large developers.
According to a report from Bloomberg, "several Japan-based game developers" of varying size have been approached by Microsoft to talk about acquiring their business. The developers asked not to be identified at this time due to the private nature of the talks.
Bloomberg's sources make it reasonable to suggest that Microsoft is scoping out potential new Japanese developers to bring under its wing as part of the Xbox Games Studios brand, even after recently acquiring Bethesda and Zenimax for a whopping $7.5 billion. In response to the reporting, Xbox business lead for Asia Jeremy Hinton told Bloomberg that Microsoft "is always open to discussions with creators that are a good fit. Acquisitions are a possibility but there are no announcements to share at this time," the article reads.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
It's part of what seems to be a concerted effort to crack the Japanese market – a region with which Xbox has had a complicated history. A recent rumour that Microsoft is planning to buy SEGA started to circulate in the wake of the Bethesda deal, though that is very much unfounded for now, so do take it with a massive pinch of salt.
In other Xbox news, we recently reviewed both of Microsoft's next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. If you want more details on the nitty-gritty, here's our comparative breakdown of the tech specs and features of both consoles.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Xbox Reportedly Looking to Buy Japanese Developers
Xbox is reportedly looking to purchase Japanese game development studios, and has been in contact with both small and large developers.
According to a report from Bloomberg, "several Japan-based game developers" of varying size have been approached by Microsoft to talk about acquiring their business. The developers asked not to be identified at this time due to the private nature of the talks.
Bloomberg's sources make it reasonable to suggest that Microsoft is scoping out potential new Japanese developers to bring under its wing as part of the Xbox Games Studios brand, even after recently acquiring Bethesda and Zenimax for a whopping $7.5 billion. In response to the reporting, Xbox business lead for Asia Jeremy Hinton told Bloomberg that Microsoft "is always open to discussions with creators that are a good fit. Acquisitions are a possibility but there are no announcements to share at this time," the article reads.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
It's part of what seems to be a concerted effort to crack the Japanese market – a region with which Xbox has had a complicated history. A recent rumour that Microsoft is planning to buy SEGA started to circulate in the wake of the Bethesda deal, though that is very much unfounded for now, so do take it with a massive pinch of salt.
In other Xbox news, we recently reviewed both of Microsoft's next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. If you want more details on the nitty-gritty, here's our comparative breakdown of the tech specs and features of both consoles.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review
Assassin's Creed Valhalla fully embraces the series' heritage. The 12th major Assassin's Creed game shows a keen awareness of the history and gameplay innovations of the saga, and it feels like a love letter to the franchise as a whole. This makes the game a far more rewarding experience for longtime fans, though newcomers can still enjoy Valhalla's combat, emphasis on exploration, and mystery-driven narrative without years of time spent in the Animus.
In Valhalla, you once again play as present-day protagonist Layla Hassan, who's still a bit shaken up after the unfortunate events at the end of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's second DLC, The Fate of Atlantis. Understandably ostracized from her old team, she's now partnered with fellow Assassins Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. The trio find themselves facing the daunting task of needing to save the world, and their only clue as to how is a mysterious message of unknown origin that contains coordinates to a grave. With no other leads, Layla hops into the Animus machine with a DNA sample taken from the skeletal remains, allowing her to relive their life in the distant past. This time she'll be Eivor, a Viking who lived during the ninth century.
The Assassin's Creed games have traditionally struggled with the modern-day storyline that runs alongside the stories that take place in the past, and Valhalla is no different. However, its modern-day plot is the most focused it has been in years. There's a clear and present danger, and a nice setup for the throughline of the game's campaign: the concept of fate.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAssassin’s Creed Valhalla Review
Assassin's Creed Valhalla fully embraces the series' heritage. The 12th major Assassin's Creed game shows a keen awareness of the history and gameplay innovations of the saga, and it feels like a love letter to the franchise as a whole. This makes the game a far more rewarding experience for longtime fans, though newcomers can still enjoy Valhalla's combat, emphasis on exploration, and mystery-driven narrative without years of time spent in the Animus.
In Valhalla, you once again play as present-day protagonist Layla Hassan, who's still a bit shaken up after the unfortunate events at the end of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's second DLC, The Fate of Atlantis. Understandably ostracized from her old team, she's now partnered with fellow Assassins Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. The trio find themselves facing the daunting task of needing to save the world, and their only clue as to how is a mysterious message of unknown origin that contains coordinates to a grave. With no other leads, Layla hops into the Animus machine with a DNA sample taken from the skeletal remains, allowing her to relive their life in the distant past. This time she'll be Eivor, a Viking who lived during the ninth century.
The Assassin's Creed games have traditionally struggled with the modern-day storyline that runs alongside the stories that take place in the past, and Valhalla is no different. However, its modern-day plot is the most focused it has been in years. There's a clear and present danger, and a nice setup for the throughline of the game's campaign: the concept of fate.
Continue Reading at GameSpotXbox Game Pass Teases Star Wars-Related News with Baby Yoda Image
Xbox Games Pass' Twitter account is teasing some upcoming Star Wars-related news with an image of both The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda / The Child.
Xbox Game Pass Tweeted out, alongside the previously mentioned image, "All we're gonna say is that we're not posting The Mandalorian and The Child for no reason."
What could it be hinting at? One possibility is that Disney+, where The Mandalorian exclusively streams, will be added as an Xbox Game Pass perk, or at the very least will include some introductory promotion.
This also could be something related to the news that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is sort of coming to Xbox Game Pass, as it is being added to EA Play on November 10, the same day EA Play is being added as a perk for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Mandalorian most recently aired the second episode of its second season on Disney+, and in our review, we said "much like the Season 2 premiere, "The Passenger" balances some of its narrative shortcomings - most notably its standalone storyline and lack of momentum - with some satisfying character beats that give us further insight into Mando's priorities.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
Whatever this news ends up being, it looks to add to the celebration of the launch of the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. You can check our Xbox Series X review and Xbox Series S review to hear our thoughts on Microsoft's next-gen consoles.
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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.
What could it be hinting at? One possibility is that Disney+, where The Mandalorian exclusively streams, will be added as an Xbox Game Pass perk, or at the very least will include some introductory promotion.
This also could be something related to the news that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is sort of coming to Xbox Game Pass, as it is being added to EA Play on November 10, the same day EA Play is being added as a perk for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Mandalorian most recently aired the second episode of its second season on Disney+, and in our review, we said "much like the Season 2 premiere, "The Passenger" balances some of its narrative shortcomings - most notably its standalone storyline and lack of momentum - with some satisfying character beats that give us further insight into Mando's priorities.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
Whatever this news ends up being, it looks to add to the celebration of the launch of the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. You can check our Xbox Series X review and Xbox Series S review to hear our thoughts on Microsoft's next-gen consoles.
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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.Xbox Game Pass Teases Star Wars-Related News with Baby Yoda Image
Xbox Games Pass' Twitter account is teasing some upcoming Star Wars-related news with an image of both The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda / The Child.
Xbox Game Pass Tweeted out, alongside the previously mentioned image, "All we're gonna say is that we're not posting The Mandalorian and The Child for no reason."
What could it be hinting at? One possibility is that Disney+, where The Mandalorian exclusively streams, will be added as an Xbox Game Pass perk, or at the very least will include some introductory promotion.
This also could be something related to the news that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is sort of coming to Xbox Game Pass, as it is being added to EA Play on November 10, the same day EA Play is being added as a perk for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Mandalorian most recently aired the second episode of its second season on Disney+, and in our review, we said "much like the Season 2 premiere, "The Passenger" balances some of its narrative shortcomings - most notably its standalone storyline and lack of momentum - with some satisfying character beats that give us further insight into Mando's priorities.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
Whatever this news ends up being, it looks to add to the celebration of the launch of the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. You can check our Xbox Series X review and Xbox Series S review to hear our thoughts on Microsoft's next-gen consoles.
[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.
What could it be hinting at? One possibility is that Disney+, where The Mandalorian exclusively streams, will be added as an Xbox Game Pass perk, or at the very least will include some introductory promotion.
This also could be something related to the news that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is sort of coming to Xbox Game Pass, as it is being added to EA Play on November 10, the same day EA Play is being added as a perk for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Mandalorian most recently aired the second episode of its second season on Disney+, and in our review, we said "much like the Season 2 premiere, "The Passenger" balances some of its narrative shortcomings - most notably its standalone storyline and lack of momentum - with some satisfying character beats that give us further insight into Mando's priorities.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"]
Whatever this news ends up being, it looks to add to the celebration of the launch of the Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. You can check our Xbox Series X review and Xbox Series S review to hear our thoughts on Microsoft's next-gen consoles.
[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.Next Battlefield Game Confirmed for ‘Holiday 2021′
After previously confirming that the next Battlefield game would be released in 2021, EA has revealed it is set to arrive in "Holiday 2021" and it is said to "deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise."
Speaking during EA's November 2020 earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson stated that "DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never before seen scale. The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver a true next-gen vision for the franchise. We have hands-on testing underway internally, and the team's been getting very positive feedback on the game as we've begun to engage our community. The next Battlefield is set to launch in holiday 2021, we're excited to share a lot more about the game in the spring."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/18/dragon-age-and-battlefield-tech-teaser-ea-play-2020"]
"We have rallied that entire studio around the development of Battlefield, specifically. We've given them an extra year of development," Wilson said later in the call. "You'll remember to ensure that they can, in fact, build a true next-gen vision around that game. DICE is one of the most talented studios on the planet, and we've been able to add leadership from our EA SPORTS business and David Rutter, who understands both live services and the rigor of development."
EA revealed that a new Battlefield was set to be released in 2021, but this news narrows down the release window and, as it currently stands, means that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't impacted its development enough to push it to 2022.
A next-gen tech demo for Battlefield was shown at EA Play Live 2020 and gave a glimpse of what players can expect when this new game launches next year.
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Battlefield V was released in 2018, and in our review, we said "Like a fresh recruit, Battlefield V was clearly deployed into action without adequate preparation. And a variety of bugs, underdeveloped features, and placeholder menu screens remind you of that at nearly every turn. However, there’s a great deal of raw potential here that could, with time and luck, be forged into one of the series’ best."
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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.
Next Battlefield Game Confirmed for ‘Holiday 2021′
After previously confirming that the next Battlefield game would be released in 2021, EA has revealed it is set to arrive in "Holiday 2021" and it is said to "deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise."
Speaking during EA's November 2020 earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson stated that "DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never before seen scale. The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver a true next-gen vision for the franchise. We have hands-on testing underway internally, and the team's been getting very positive feedback on the game as we've begun to engage our community. The next Battlefield is set to launch in holiday 2021, we're excited to share a lot more about the game in the spring."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/18/dragon-age-and-battlefield-tech-teaser-ea-play-2020"]
"We have rallied that entire studio around the development of Battlefield, specifically. We've given them an extra year of development," Wilson said later in the call. "You'll remember to ensure that they can, in fact, build a true next-gen vision around that game. DICE is one of the most talented studios on the planet, and we've been able to add leadership from our EA SPORTS business and David Rutter, who understands both live services and the rigor of development."
EA revealed that a new Battlefield was set to be released in 2021, but this news narrows down the release window and, as it currently stands, means that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't impacted its development enough to push it to 2022.
A next-gen tech demo for Battlefield was shown at EA Play Live 2020 and gave a glimpse of what players can expect when this new game launches next year.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-battlefield-review&captions=true"]
Battlefield V was released in 2018, and in our review, we said "Like a fresh recruit, Battlefield V was clearly deployed into action without adequate preparation. And a variety of bugs, underdeveloped features, and placeholder menu screens remind you of that at nearly every turn. However, there’s a great deal of raw potential here that could, with time and luck, be forged into one of the series’ best."
[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.