While we've known that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will let players choose and swap between main character Eivor's gender throughout the campaign, a new video has shown how that process will work. As discovered by @AccessTheAnimus, this video shows how Eivor's gender selection is handled in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It is presented as a "DNA stream selection," and players are then given the option to choose Male Eivor or Female Eivor's "Memory-stream."

DNA STREAM SELECTION

This was described by Narrative Director Darby McDevitt as a new feature that ensures both male and female versions of Eivor are considered canon. The feature is backed up by new lore that upgrades the abilities of the Animus#AssassinsCreed Valhalla pic.twitter.com/SlV5Q0Bh7v — AccessTheAnimus (@AccessTheAnimus) July 21, 2020

It appears this can be done at any point in the story, that it will not restart the game or take you back to the main menu, and all the player's gear will remain intact. Assassin's Creed Valhalla's narrative director Darby McDevitt has previously confirmed that, although you can choose Eivor's gender throughout the story, both male and female versions of Eivor are considered canon and that the "feature is backed up by new lore that upgrades the abilities of the Animus." This ability to switch the main character's gender in-game is in contrast to Assassin's Creed Odyssey's in which the choice players made at the beginning of the game - between playing as Alexios or Kassandra, was the one they were stuck with. Furthermore, the official tie-in novel was written with Kassandra in the main role, meaning she was the canon version of the story. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/12/assassins-creed-valhalla-hands-on"] Speaking of differences between the two games, both Alexios and Kassandra lived in the world, you just chose to play as one, while in Valhalla, Eivor is the same no matter what gender you chose. How you play them is your choice, and McDevitt promises it will "reveal the nuances of its approach to canon when we can finally play it in Holiday 2020." Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on November 17, 2020. It will also be a launch title for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but the dates of those are yet unknown. We were able to get our hands-on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and we said it "looks to be, as is the tradition of the series, an iterative update on its predecessors. If the new approach to RPG design and gear-based progression has put you off the series, this slice of the game indicates that you’ll likely be unconvinced by Valhalla’s barely altered direction. But the few changes it makes to those systems suggests developer Ubisoft Montreal may have a newfound confidence in its RPG abilities, and a willingness to embrace more of the genre’s toolset." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-ubisoft-forward-screenshots&captions=true"] [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.

While we've known that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will let players choose and swap between main character Eivor's gender throughout the campaign, a new video has shown how that process will work. As discovered by @AccessTheAnimus, this video shows how Eivor's gender selection is handled in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It is presented as a "DNA stream selection," and players are then given the option to choose Male Eivor or Female Eivor's "Memory-stream."

DNA STREAM SELECTION

This was described by Narrative Director Darby McDevitt as a new feature that ensures both male and female versions of Eivor are considered canon. The feature is backed up by new lore that upgrades the abilities of the Animus#AssassinsCreed Valhalla pic.twitter.com/SlV5Q0Bh7v — AccessTheAnimus (@AccessTheAnimus) July 21, 2020

It appears this can be done at any point in the story, that it will not restart the game or take you back to the main menu, and all the player's gear will remain intact. Assassin's Creed Valhalla's narrative director Darby McDevitt has previously confirmed that, although you can choose Eivor's gender throughout the story, both male and female versions of Eivor are considered canon and that the "feature is backed up by new lore that upgrades the abilities of the Animus." This ability to switch the main character's gender in-game is in contrast to Assassin's Creed Odyssey's in which the choice players made at the beginning of the game - between playing as Alexios or Kassandra, was the one they were stuck with. Furthermore, the official tie-in novel was written with Kassandra in the main role, meaning she was the canon version of the story. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/12/assassins-creed-valhalla-hands-on"] Speaking of differences between the two games, both Alexios and Kassandra lived in the world, you just chose to play as one, while in Valhalla, Eivor is the same no matter what gender you chose. How you play them is your choice, and McDevitt promises it will "reveal the nuances of its approach to canon when we can finally play it in Holiday 2020." Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on November 17, 2020. It will also be a launch title for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but the dates of those are yet unknown. We were able to get our hands-on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and we said it "looks to be, as is the tradition of the series, an iterative update on its predecessors. If the new approach to RPG design and gear-based progression has put you off the series, this slice of the game indicates that you’ll likely be unconvinced by Valhalla’s barely altered direction. But the few changes it makes to those systems suggests developer Ubisoft Montreal may have a newfound confidence in its RPG abilities, and a willingness to embrace more of the genre’s toolset." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-ubisoft-forward-screenshots&captions=true"] [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.

343 Industries has revealed the Halo Infinite box art ahead of a campaign reveal tomorrow. The box art shows Master Chief standing in a field with a broken Halo installation in the background - many fans have noticed the clear resemblance between Infinite's box art and that of the first game in the series, Halo: Combat Evolved. If you look closely at Master Chief's visor, you can spot what appears to be the game's villain, which may well be a member of The Banished, a faction confirmed to appear in Halo Infinite earlier this year. It could also be 'Hyperious,' a character leaked by a set of Mega Bloks toys that surfaced online in early July.  Master Chief also has a grappling hook on his left wrist, adding credibility to rumours about Infinite's gameplay that surfaced earlier this week.

Here's the villain in #HaloInfinite (Hyperious? Atriox of The Banished?) as seen in the reflection of Chief's helmet. pic.twitter.com/sFKFtajvVV

— Jordan Oloman (@JordanOloman) July 22, 2020

We'll be sure to hear more about Halo Infinite during tomorrow's Xbox Games Showcase, which will offer up our first glimpse into the game's campaign. If you head to the Halo Waypoint website, you can download the key art from the press kit in a series of different resolutions, as well as pick up a mobile wallpaper or a cinemagraph of the scene.

One. More. Sleep.

And I DEFINITELY see what they're going for here... pic.twitter.com/fThSLixfz0 — Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) July 22, 2020

Halo Infinite will launch later this year on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

343 Industries has revealed the Halo Infinite box art ahead of a campaign reveal tomorrow. The box art shows Master Chief standing in a field with a broken Halo installation in the background - many fans have noticed the clear resemblance between Infinite's box art and that of the first game in the series, Halo: Combat Evolved. If you look closely at Master Chief's visor, you can spot what appears to be the game's villain, which may well be a member of The Banished, a faction confirmed to appear in Halo Infinite earlier this year. It could also be 'Hyperious,' a character leaked by a set of Mega Bloks toys that surfaced online in early July.  Master Chief also has a grappling hook on his left wrist, adding credibility to rumours about Infinite's gameplay that surfaced earlier this week.

Here's the villain in #HaloInfinite (Hyperious? Atriox of The Banished?) as seen in the reflection of Chief's helmet. pic.twitter.com/sFKFtajvVV

— Jordan Oloman (@JordanOloman) July 22, 2020

We'll be sure to hear more about Halo Infinite during tomorrow's Xbox Games Showcase, which will offer up our first glimpse into the game's campaign. If you head to the Halo Waypoint website, you can download the key art from the press kit in a series of different resolutions, as well as pick up a mobile wallpaper or a cinemagraph of the scene.

One. More. Sleep.

And I DEFINITELY see what they're going for here... pic.twitter.com/fThSLixfz0 — Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) July 22, 2020

Halo Infinite will launch later this year on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

It's that time again - Comic-Con is here, even if it looks a little different this year. While we can't pile into the San Diego Convention Center like in years past to get those exclusive Hasbro figures, Funko Pops, or cosplay essentials, we can still shop for some cool Comic-Con exclusives from the comfort of our homes. In addition to IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream, which is bringing you the con's best panels digitally, vendors like Elhoffer Design are offering new geek fashions and launching them on Preview Night, as if Comic-Con were happening in person. Will the experience be a little different? Definitely. But on the plus side, you won't to have get sweaty or fight the crowds to snag your swag. So, let's take a look at two of the new Marvel-inspired outfits Elhoffer Design is bringing to Comic-Con@Home this year.

Warrior King

First up are two pieces from Elhoffer's Warrior King collection. The homage to a certain King of Wakanda is clear in the design. While subtle enough to wear to work, an event, or even on camera during a video call, any Marvel fan would be able to spot which hero inspired this outfit.  According to founder Catherine Elhoffer, "The diamond art is flattering and sleek." Elhoffer also explains that "this crop top is custom knit and incredibly stretchy," while the skirt "is knit with lycra for an insane stretch." Both the pencil skirt and crop top will go on sale Wednesday, July 22, during Comic-Con@Home Preview Night. The Warrior King crop top is priced at $60.00 USD, and the Warrior King pencil skirt is priced at $90.00 USD.

Warrior Guard

This next outfit draws its inspiration from the powerful Dora Milaje, Wakanda's protectors. The vibrant yellows and oranges are bold colors to accompany anyone who "never freezes." These are companion pieces to Warrior King, featuring a crop top and pencil skirt. According to designer Elhoffer, you can "combine them, wear them separate, cross the tops," and that, "the style options with these looks may well be limitless." The Warrior Guard pencil skirt and crop top will go on sale Wednesday, July 22, during Comic-Con@Home Preview Night. The Warrior Guard crop top is priced at $60.00 USD, while the Warrior Guard pencil skirt is priced at $90.00 USD. This Warrior mini-collection is currently a Comic-Con 2020 exclusive and 10% of every purchase will also go to the NAACP. Shopping Comic-Con@Home exclusives like are just one way to support businesses during this strange time in our economy, especially independent businesses like Elhoffer's, whose sales typically depend on conventions. You can find Elhoffer's full Comic-Con@Home offerings at ElhofferDesign.com. Check out the IGN Comic-Con@Home livestream schedule and keep it locked on IGN for all the latest news and updates from the con. [poilib element="accentDivider"]. Lauren Gallaway is a Social Media Coordinator for IGN. She is an avid "everyday cosplayer" who may or may not own a few Elhoffer pieces herself. Find her tweeting at @LaurenGallaway and streaming at Glimpse Entertainment on Twitch.

It's that time again - Comic-Con is here, even if it looks a little different this year. While we can't pile into the San Diego Convention Center like in years past to get those exclusive Hasbro figures, Funko Pops, or cosplay essentials, we can still shop for some cool Comic-Con exclusives from the comfort of our homes. In addition to IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream, which is bringing you the con's best panels digitally, vendors like Elhoffer Design are offering new geek fashions and launching them on Preview Night, as if Comic-Con were happening in person. Will the experience be a little different? Definitely. But on the plus side, you won't to have get sweaty or fight the crowds to snag your swag. So, let's take a look at two of the new Marvel-inspired outfits Elhoffer Design is bringing to Comic-Con@Home this year.

Warrior King

First up are two pieces from Elhoffer's Warrior King collection. The homage to a certain King of Wakanda is clear in the design. While subtle enough to wear to work, an event, or even on camera during a video call, any Marvel fan would be able to spot which hero inspired this outfit.  According to founder Catherine Elhoffer, "The diamond art is flattering and sleek." Elhoffer also explains that "this crop top is custom knit and incredibly stretchy," while the skirt "is knit with lycra for an insane stretch." Both the pencil skirt and crop top will go on sale Wednesday, July 22, during Comic-Con@Home Preview Night. The Warrior King crop top is priced at $60.00 USD, and the Warrior King pencil skirt is priced at $90.00 USD.

Warrior Guard

This next outfit draws its inspiration from the powerful Dora Milaje, Wakanda's protectors. The vibrant yellows and oranges are bold colors to accompany anyone who "never freezes." These are companion pieces to Warrior King, featuring a crop top and pencil skirt. According to designer Elhoffer, you can "combine them, wear them separate, cross the tops," and that, "the style options with these looks may well be limitless." The Warrior Guard pencil skirt and crop top will go on sale Wednesday, July 22, during Comic-Con@Home Preview Night. The Warrior Guard crop top is priced at $60.00 USD, while the Warrior Guard pencil skirt is priced at $90.00 USD. This Warrior mini-collection is currently a Comic-Con 2020 exclusive and 10% of every purchase will also go to the NAACP. Shopping Comic-Con@Home exclusives like are just one way to support businesses during this strange time in our economy, especially independent businesses like Elhoffer's, whose sales typically depend on conventions. You can find Elhoffer's full Comic-Con@Home offerings at ElhofferDesign.com. Check out the IGN Comic-Con@Home livestream schedule and keep it locked on IGN for all the latest news and updates from the con. [poilib element="accentDivider"]. Lauren Gallaway is a Social Media Coordinator for IGN. She is an avid "everyday cosplayer" who may or may not own a few Elhoffer pieces herself. Find her tweeting at @LaurenGallaway and streaming at Glimpse Entertainment on Twitch.

The first post-launch patch for Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise has arrived, beginning to address the game's frame rate issues. However, a promised 'fix' for transphobic content in the game has been called out by players for not going far enough to address the launch version's issues. In a tweet, Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, the game's director announced the first patch, and said there were more to come:

Good evening everyone. We updated 1st patch!! Still continue to fixing another task. Please enjoy the journey in Le Carre!!#DeadlyPremonition2 pic.twitter.com/IPkiE4KepP

— Hidetaka SWERY Skywalker (@Swery65) July 21, 2020

Last week, Swery apologized for transphobic scenes in the game after receiving feedback from fans, promising to rewrite one particular scenario where a transgender character is misgendered and provide a sanity check by "a team that included diversity" for other transphobic content. In a new statement from Swery, he notes that "the scenario where the problem occurred has been fixed. I didn't change the important point of the story of this work, and I was able to make changes only where I wanted to make corrections." However, players have already noted that the alterations made to the scene appear to amount to a single altered line of dialogue, with much of the complained-about content - which includes misgendering and deadnaming a transgender character, Lena - remaining intact post-patch. This Twitter thread from journalist Laura Kate Dale digs into what has, and mostly hasn't, been changed in the patch. "It really does just feel like Swery basically removed that one line where York "Gotcha" deadnames Lena, and said job done. Beyond that, the game is barely touched," Dale explains. The patch has also addressed the game's less-than-desirable frame rate. We reviewed Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise, scoring it a 5 and noting that the game's stuttering frame rate is "the real serial killer." "Regarding frame rate improvement, we plan to gradually improve it," Swery's statement continues. "This patch is only partially fixing of frame rate, but we are preparing the next patch after this, ASAP." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The first post-launch patch for Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise has arrived, beginning to address the game's frame rate issues. However, a promised 'fix' for transphobic content in the game has been called out by players for not going far enough to address the launch version's issues. In a tweet, Hidetaka "Swery" Suehiro, the game's director announced the first patch, and said there were more to come:

Good evening everyone. We updated 1st patch!! Still continue to fixing another task. Please enjoy the journey in Le Carre!!#DeadlyPremonition2 pic.twitter.com/IPkiE4KepP

— Hidetaka SWERY Skywalker (@Swery65) July 21, 2020

Last week, Swery apologized for transphobic scenes in the game after receiving feedback from fans, promising to rewrite one particular scenario where a transgender character is misgendered and provide a sanity check by "a team that included diversity" for other transphobic content. In a new statement from Swery, he notes that "the scenario where the problem occurred has been fixed. I didn't change the important point of the story of this work, and I was able to make changes only where I wanted to make corrections." However, players have already noted that the alterations made to the scene appear to amount to a single altered line of dialogue, with much of the complained-about content - which includes misgendering and deadnaming a transgender character, Lena - remaining intact post-patch. This Twitter thread from journalist Laura Kate Dale digs into what has, and mostly hasn't, been changed in the patch. "It really does just feel like Swery basically removed that one line where York "Gotcha" deadnames Lena, and said job done. Beyond that, the game is barely touched," Dale explains. The patch has also addressed the game's less-than-desirable frame rate. We reviewed Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise, scoring it a 5 and noting that the game's stuttering frame rate is "the real serial killer." "Regarding frame rate improvement, we plan to gradually improve it," Swery's statement continues. "This patch is only partially fixing of frame rate, but we are preparing the next patch after this, ASAP." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A near 12-hour standoff in Ukraine between an armed man and the police came to an end when the country's president agreed to comply with the gunman's demand that he publicly endorse a Joaquin Phoenix documentary in order to free hostages. The New York Times reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky took to Facebook to urge Ukrainians to watch Phoenix's 2005 film Earthlings in a bid to secure the release of 13 hostages who were being held captive on a city bus. He deleted the post shortly after the hostages were freed and the armed man was confirmed to be captured. The documentary film, narrated by Phoenix and directed by Shaun Monson, examines humankind's economic dependence on animals and depicts hidden camera footage of animals suffering, as it chronicles the day-to-day practices at some of largest industries in the world, all of which are said to rely entirely on animals for profit. After Zelensky posted his short message to plug Earthlings, the hostage-taker, identified as Maksim Krivosh, reportedly released all of the remaining hostages and then surrendered to the police. It was later confirmed that none of the hostages had been physically harmed by Krivosh, who was heavily armed with weapons and explosives throughout the tense ordeal in the city of Lutsk. Although there had been several demands posted on Twitter throughout the day, the public promotion of the film prompted Krivosh to officially end the standoff. President Zelensky issued a statement after it was confirmed that the hostages had been freed and Krivosh had been arrested by the authorities, stressing that the most important aim throughout the hostage situation was to ensure that there was no loss of life. "We were not fighting for ratings," he said. "We were fighting for lives." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

A near 12-hour standoff in Ukraine between an armed man and the police came to an end when the country's president agreed to comply with the gunman's demand that he publicly endorse a Joaquin Phoenix documentary in order to free hostages. The New York Times reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky took to Facebook to urge Ukrainians to watch Phoenix's 2005 film Earthlings in a bid to secure the release of 13 hostages who were being held captive on a city bus. He deleted the post shortly after the hostages were freed and the armed man was confirmed to be captured. The documentary film, narrated by Phoenix and directed by Shaun Monson, examines humankind's economic dependence on animals and depicts hidden camera footage of animals suffering, as it chronicles the day-to-day practices at some of largest industries in the world, all of which are said to rely entirely on animals for profit. After Zelensky posted his short message to plug Earthlings, the hostage-taker, identified as Maksim Krivosh, reportedly released all of the remaining hostages and then surrendered to the police. It was later confirmed that none of the hostages had been physically harmed by Krivosh, who was heavily armed with weapons and explosives throughout the tense ordeal in the city of Lutsk. Although there had been several demands posted on Twitter throughout the day, the public promotion of the film prompted Krivosh to officially end the standoff. President Zelensky issued a statement after it was confirmed that the hostages had been freed and Krivosh had been arrested by the authorities, stressing that the most important aim throughout the hostage situation was to ensure that there was no loss of life. "We were not fighting for ratings," he said. "We were fighting for lives." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.