Minecraft Dungeons will get a free update that adds cross-play in November 2020, while the Howling Peaks DLC, Season Pass, and the Apocalypse Plus difficulty will be added in December. Revealed at Minecraft Live 2020, Minecraft Dungeons will allow the Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions to all play together. Unfortunately, cross-save is still not supported.

Hello there hero, adventure calls once again! Dangerous mobs, new gear, and the power of the wind itself, all await you atop perilous peaks! Howling Peaks DLC arrives in December – it's nearly time to trek to the top! ↣ https://t.co/CPC2Hy82Fe ↢ pic.twitter.com/sAcpaWRe0x

— Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

The Howling Peaks DLC will feature a new boss, the Tempest Golem, who can conjure up "howling winds" to make your life just that much more difficult. Speaking of difficulty, Apocalypse Plus will add 20 new difficulties after Apocalypse VII, and it "increases the characters' power ceiling, and adds new enchantments and items." This news arrived alongside the reveal that Minecraft characters, including Steve, Alex, Zombie, and Enderman, will be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as fighters on October 13, 2020, and that Minecraft will get its Caves and Cliffs update in Summer 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=minecraft-dungeons-howling-peaks-dlc-screenshots&captions=true"] In our review of Minecraft Dungeons, we said it "is a beautiful and fun dungeon crawler with a simple but tried-and-true set of systems in place. It plays it extremely safe, though, without bringing anything mining or crafting spins to the genre to accompany Minecraft’s signature look and feel. Still, it's just so damn charming, and so fun, it's hard to fault it for going the safe route." [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.

UPDATE 3: Sony has pushed up the domestic release of Monster Hunter again, this time moving it from Christmas Day to December 18. UPDATE 2: IGN can confirm that the Monster Hunter movie will now open five days earlier, pushing up to December 25 (Christmas Day) from December 30. The movie will also play in IMAX format. The December 25th release date pits Monster Hunter against the HBO Max/international theatrical release of Wonder Woman 1984 and Pixar's Soul on Disney Plus. Our original report follows. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/19/monster-hunter-chinese-official-movie-trailer] UPDATE: The first tease for the Monster Hunter trailer reveals that the video game movie adaptation is coming out in theaters this year after all. The Screen Gems movie will now be released on December 30 after having been previously postponed to April 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/monster-hunter-exclusive-official-trailer-tease"] Our original report follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Sony Pictures has delayed its upcoming Monster Hunter movie to next year. Monster Hunter, a movie based on the hit game from Capcom, was originally set to release in theaters in just a few months on September 4, but a change today in Sony Pictures' domestic calendar indicates that the movie has been pushed back to April 23, 2021. As for a reason why the movie has been delayed, Sony Pictures has yet to say, but it's likely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the reason behind a number of delays in the film and TV industry this year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/20/monster-hunter-movie-first-photo-revealed"] Paul W.S. Anderson is the director for Monster Hunter and it's not his first go at a movie based on a Capcom game. He's the director of the many Resident Evil movies spawned off from those games as well. Anderson isn't the only Resident Evil alum whose involved with this movie either, as the star of the Resident Evil movies, Milla Jovovich, is set to star in Monster Hunter. Jovovich plays Natalie Artimis, the leader of a group of soldiers who gets transported from their world into that of the Monster Hunter video games. Jovovich's Artimis teams up with The Hunter to, well, hunt monsters. The Hunter is played by Tony Jaa and his boss is someone known as the Admiral, a character played by Ron Perlman. Perlman's Admiral character has not yet been reveled beyond his name. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/26/milla-jovavich-posts-photo-from-monster-hunter-movie"] While this story will be a new one for fans of the game series, Anderson has previously said that weapons, armor, and monsters from the game will be in the movie. While waiting for Monster Hunter, check out Jovovich using her Slinger, an iconic in-game weapon she showed off on Twitter in response to fan backlash against the movie. After that, look at IGN's list of 12 cool Monster Hunter movie details we've already discovered. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Mojang revealed Minecraft's Caves and Cliffs update, which arrives in Summer 2021 and, as the name suggests, it will make some big improvements to cave and underground exploration and adds "more spectacular mountain generation." Mountains were the winner of the 2019 Minecon Live biome vote, and this update will make them a much bigger part of Minecraft's world. In addition to the previously mentioned mountain generation, there will also be snow "traps, the charming and mischievous goats, and much more.

Underground biomes aren’t all terrifying lava lakes and skeleton-infested mines; instead – if you follow the roots – you’ll find the lush caves are a stunning oasis of calm and tranquillity.

↣ https://t.co/CPC2Hy82Fe ↢ pic.twitter.com/r9RiTwPPdJ — Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

The caves in Minecraft will soon have much more variety, with lush caves, dripstone caves, crystal geodes and more being added, as well as different blocks being present and new mobs to encounter. Some of the new blocks include the Sculk Sensor, a block that emits a redstone signal, allowing players the chance to build such "amazing contraptions" as a wireless redstone.

Tumble absent-mindedly down a hole, sail your trusty vessel into the deep, watery unknown or carefully descend that ancient ravine: whatever your underground exploration method – get ready for improved cave generation!

↣ https://t.co/CPC2Hy82Fe ↢ pic.twitter.com/RLGksxbVGH — Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

There will also be stalactite and stalagmite blocks that are "spiky blocks with different mechanics, such as increased fall damage if you land on them." As players are exploring the underground, there will also be the new copper ore to find, which can be used to craft a lightning rod block. Additionally, the lucky few will happen across the crystal geodes that can be used to craft a telescope.

Speaking of mountains and books by Max Brooks, that brings us to mobs that live on mountains and like to eat books (we suspect). As promised, we’ve added goats – the hugely-anticipated mob from last year’s biome vote. Jumping goats! Ramming goats! Baby goats! So many goats! pic.twitter.com/Wf5LWdHHgk

— Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

As for the mobs, certain new ones will be introduced like the Warden, a "hostile mob well adapted to the dark caves it lives in thanks to its ability to react on movement instead of what it sees, and the Axolotl, an adorable cave-dwelling water creature that can aid in battle." [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.

Mojang revealed Minecraft's Caves and Cliffs update, which arrives in Summer 2021 and, as the name suggests, it will make some big improvements to cave and underground exploration and adds "more spectacular mountain generation." Mountains were the winner of the 2019 Minecon Live biome vote, and this update will make them a much bigger part of Minecraft's world. In addition to the previously mentioned mountain generation, there will also be snow "traps, the charming and mischievous goats, and much more.

Underground biomes aren’t all terrifying lava lakes and skeleton-infested mines; instead – if you follow the roots – you’ll find the lush caves are a stunning oasis of calm and tranquillity.

↣ https://t.co/CPC2Hy82Fe ↢ pic.twitter.com/r9RiTwPPdJ — Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

The caves in Minecraft will soon have much more variety, with lush caves, dripstone caves, crystal geodes and more being added, as well as different blocks being present and new mobs to encounter. Some of the new blocks include the Sculk Sensor, a block that emits a redstone signal, allowing players the chance to build such "amazing contraptions" as a wireless redstone.

Tumble absent-mindedly down a hole, sail your trusty vessel into the deep, watery unknown or carefully descend that ancient ravine: whatever your underground exploration method – get ready for improved cave generation!

↣ https://t.co/CPC2Hy82Fe ↢ pic.twitter.com/RLGksxbVGH — Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

There will also be stalactite and stalagmite blocks that are "spiky blocks with different mechanics, such as increased fall damage if you land on them." As players are exploring the underground, there will also be the new copper ore to find, which can be used to craft a lightning rod block. Additionally, the lucky few will happen across the crystal geodes that can be used to craft a telescope.

Speaking of mountains and books by Max Brooks, that brings us to mobs that live on mountains and like to eat books (we suspect). As promised, we’ve added goats – the hugely-anticipated mob from last year’s biome vote. Jumping goats! Ramming goats! Baby goats! So many goats! pic.twitter.com/Wf5LWdHHgk

— Minecraft (@Minecraft) October 3, 2020

As for the mobs, certain new ones will be introduced like the Warden, a "hostile mob well adapted to the dark caves it lives in thanks to its ability to react on movement instead of what it sees, and the Axolotl, an adorable cave-dwelling water creature that can aid in battle." [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.

Super Smash Bros. UItimate's director Masahiro Sakurai has announced that amiibo for Banjo-Kazooie, Fire Emblem: Three Houses' Byleth, and Fatal Fury's Terry Bogard will be available in 2021. These amiibo were revealed during the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Mr. Sakurai Presents "Steve & Alex" presentation that unveiled the release date of the Mincecraft character fighters and broke down how the variations - Steve, Alex, Zombie, and Enderman - will play. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-smash-bros-ultimate-banjo-kazooie-byleth-and-terry-bogard-amiibo&captions=true"] Unfortunately, according to Sakurai, the team was only able to create an amiibo for the P1 fighter of Byleth, so there will not be a female version of the figure. As for a potential Minecraft Steve amiibo, Sakurai didn't quite confirm it, but he did say, "If it's going to be produced, I bet it'll be easier compared to the other fighters." These amiibo, alongside the Joker and Dragon Quest Hero amiibo, will make it so each fighter from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighter's Pass Vol. 1 will have a figure you can own. Hopefully, Minecraft's Steve and Alex, as well as ARMS' Min Min, won't be far behind. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/01/super-smash-bros-ultimate-minecraft-reveal-trailer"] [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.

Update (12/10/20) - Nintendo has revealed that the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate amiibo for Banjo & Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth will be available on March 26, 2021.

Super #SmashBrosUltimate #amiibo for DLC fighters Banjo & Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth will be available starting March 26th! pic.twitter.com/IrjvmByp4o

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 11, 2020

Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Super Smash Bros. UItimate's director Masahiro Sakurai has announced that amiibo for Banjo-Kazooie, Fire Emblem: Three Houses' Byleth, and Fatal Fury's Terry Bogard will be available in 2021. These amiibo were revealed during the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Mr. Sakurai Presents "Steve & Alex" presentation that unveiled the release date of the Mincecraft character fighters and broke down how the variations - Steve, Alex, Zombie, and Enderman - will play. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-smash-bros-ultimate-banjo-kazooie-byleth-and-terry-bogard-amiibo&captions=true"] Unfortunately, according to Sakurai, the team was only able to create an amiibo for the P1 fighter of Byleth, so there will not be a female version of the figure. As for a potential Minecraft Steve amiibo, Sakurai didn't quite confirm it, but he did say, "If it's going to be produced, I bet it'll be easier compared to the other fighters." These amiibo, alongside the Joker and Dragon Quest Hero amiibo, will make it so each fighter from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Fighter's Pass Vol. 1 will have a figure you can own. Hopefully, Minecraft's Steve and Alex, as well as ARMS' Min Min, won't be far behind. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/01/super-smash-bros-ultimate-minecraft-reveal-trailer"] [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.

Let's look back at the films released (both theatrically and streaming) this year that were scored the best of the best by IGN's critics, from Tenet to Wonder Woman 1984.

Let's look back at the films released (both theatrically and streaming) this year that were scored the best of the best by IGN's critics, from Tenet to Wonder Woman 1984.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Boys: Season 2: Episode 7! Be sure to check out our review of Episode 7 right here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The penultimate episode of The Boys Season 2 packs in some pretty big twists, but perhaps none weirder and more unexpected than the reveal of Black Noir's secret weakness. That's right, Black Noir, the show's ruthless, Batman-like superhero, was just brought down by a candy bar. Specifically, an Almond Joy. Read on for a closer look at this goofy plot twist and an explanation of why this powerful killer has such a strange form of Kryptonite. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-boys-season-2-gallery&captions=true"]

The Origin of Black Noir's Nut Allergy

Episode 7 nearly culminates in the death of Starlight at Black Noir's hands. Only a last-minute intervention by Queen Maeve and a strategically deployed Almond Joy candy bar saves the day. How did this unexpected plot twist come about? It certainly wasn't inspired by the comics. Showrunner Eric Kripke told IGN it was instead an embellishment inspired by the fact that actor Nathan Mitchell actually suffers from a nut allergy in real life. "Yeah, we came up with it," said Kripke. "Actually, the actors and I were all at Comic-Con promoting Season 1, and Nathan Mitchell, the actor who plays Black Noir, has a very severe nut allergy. And I had just learned that at Comic-Con. You know, if someone has a granola bar with nuts he's literally gotta back away from it, cause it's like a vampire with garlic. And [series star] Karl [Urban] started laughing and said, 'You should really give that to Black Noir as his Kryptonite.' And my response was, 'That's a brilliant idea.'" Kripke continued, "I mean, everyone thinks that a superhero's weakness is going to be this really exotic thing, and it's just so funny to me that it's actually a very common thing that is thousands of people's Kryptonite. People are just sometimes born with nut allergies, like Nathan, like the actual real-life Black Noir. So we gave it to him as his weakness and if you go back and watch the episodes again, if you remember when he goes down to crime analytics in Episode 4, and Anika, the tech there, is eating an Almond Joy, and he holds out the garbage can like, 'Put that thing away!'" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/24/amazons-the-boys-season-2-review"]

The True Significance of the Nut Allergy

While the nut allergy is mostly played for laughs in this episode, it does potentially have significant ramifications for Black Noir and his role in the series. As we've explored before, Black Noir serves a very specific function in the original comic. He's a deranged clone of Homelander tasked with keeping an eye on Vought's most famous creation and killing him if he ever threatens the company. It's always been a mystery as to how closely the Amazon series is adapting the source material in that regard, and this episode suggests not very. The takeaway from Black Noir's ignominious defeat here is that he probably isn't a Homelander clone. We've already seen him take some serious damage over the course of Season 2, and the fact that he suffers a nut allergy where Homelander himself is seemingly without any weakness suggests the two characters don't share the same powers or genetic makeup. On top of that, we catch a glimpse of Black Noir's unmasked face in this scene. While he's clearly covered in scars, Black Noir appears to be Black (as is Mitchell himself), so that would seem to suggest the series is moving in a very different direction with the character. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the Amazon series has altered the comic's story. And with so much emphasis on the reveal that Homelander fathered a superhuman son, the Amazon series may not need the Homelander clone angle. For more on The Boys, check out our review of Season 2, Episode 7, and read up on Stormfront's comic book background. [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.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Boys: Season 2: Episode 7! Be sure to check out our review of Episode 7 right here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The penultimate episode of The Boys Season 2 packs in some pretty big twists, but perhaps none weirder and more unexpected than the reveal of Black Noir's secret weakness. That's right, Black Noir, the show's ruthless, Batman-like superhero, was just brought down by a candy bar. Specifically, an Almond Joy. Read on for a closer look at this goofy plot twist and an explanation of why this powerful killer has such a strange form of Kryptonite. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-boys-season-2-gallery&captions=true"]

The Origin of Black Noir's Nut Allergy

Episode 7 nearly culminates in the death of Starlight at Black Noir's hands. Only a last-minute intervention by Queen Maeve and a strategically deployed Almond Joy candy bar saves the day. How did this unexpected plot twist come about? It certainly wasn't inspired by the comics. Showrunner Eric Kripke told IGN it was instead an embellishment inspired by the fact that actor Nathan Mitchell actually suffers from a nut allergy in real life. "Yeah, we came up with it," said Kripke. "Actually, the actors and I were all at Comic-Con promoting Season 1, and Nathan Mitchell, the actor who plays Black Noir, has a very severe nut allergy. And I had just learned that at Comic-Con. You know, if someone has a granola bar with nuts he's literally gotta back away from it, cause it's like a vampire with garlic. And [series star] Karl [Urban] started laughing and said, 'You should really give that to Black Noir as his Kryptonite.' And my response was, 'That's a brilliant idea.'" Kripke continued, "I mean, everyone thinks that a superhero's weakness is going to be this really exotic thing, and it's just so funny to me that it's actually a very common thing that is thousands of people's Kryptonite. People are just sometimes born with nut allergies, like Nathan, like the actual real-life Black Noir. So we gave it to him as his weakness and if you go back and watch the episodes again, if you remember when he goes down to crime analytics in Episode 4, and Anika, the tech there, is eating an Almond Joy, and he holds out the garbage can like, 'Put that thing away!'" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/24/amazons-the-boys-season-2-review"]

The True Significance of the Nut Allergy

While the nut allergy is mostly played for laughs in this episode, it does potentially have significant ramifications for Black Noir and his role in the series. As we've explored before, Black Noir serves a very specific function in the original comic. He's a deranged clone of Homelander tasked with keeping an eye on Vought's most famous creation and killing him if he ever threatens the company. It's always been a mystery as to how closely the Amazon series is adapting the source material in that regard, and this episode suggests not very. The takeaway from Black Noir's ignominious defeat here is that he probably isn't a Homelander clone. We've already seen him take some serious damage over the course of Season 2, and the fact that he suffers a nut allergy where Homelander himself is seemingly without any weakness suggests the two characters don't share the same powers or genetic makeup. On top of that, we catch a glimpse of Black Noir's unmasked face in this scene. While he's clearly covered in scars, Black Noir appears to be Black (as is Mitchell himself), so that would seem to suggest the series is moving in a very different direction with the character. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the Amazon series has altered the comic's story. And with so much emphasis on the reveal that Homelander fathered a superhuman son, the Amazon series may not need the Homelander clone angle. For more on The Boys, check out our review of Season 2, Episode 7, and read up on Stormfront's comic book background. [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.