Disco Elysium TV Adaptation Announced

Disco Elysium, ZA/UM’s gonzo detective RPG is set to get a TV show adaptation thanks to a partnership with the producer of the recent Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Variety reports that ZA/UM has partnered with dj2 Entertainment to develop a TV series based on Disco Elysium. The deal means that work on a TV adaptation is still very early and dj2 is meeting with writers currently ahead of proper TV show pitches for Disco Elysium next year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disco-elysium-18-screenshots&captions=true"] Disco Elysium is a critically-acclaimed RPG set in a futuristic world of Elysium. The player wakes up with no memory and is immediately tasked with solving a murder that leads him through different political factions and plotlines. It only gets much weirder from there. “We’re so gratified at the response Disco Elysium has received and very happy to be teaming with dj2 to expand the franchise for other media and new audiences,” said Helen Hindpere, lead writer at ZA/UM. Dj2 was founded by producer Dmitri M. Johnson who co-produced Sonic the Hedgehog. Dj2 is working on other video game adaptations for the screen including one for Sleeping Dogs. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/10/zaum-reacts-to-disco-elysium-winning-igns-award-for-best-pc-exclusive-of-2019"] Disco Elysium was nominated for IGN’s 2019 Game of the Year and one Best PC Exclusive, though it is now coming to consoles and Switch. Read our Disco Elysium review here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Square Enix Will Announce ‘Several’ New Games in July and August

Square Enix will announce new games in July and August, if a recent stockholder meeting is any indication. The company held a stockholders' meeting on June 24 and, when asked about how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected plans to announce new games, a Square Enix representative said new games were originally to be announced at the now-cancelled E3. "We would normally announce new games at E3, yes," a Square Enix spokesperson said, according to a Gematsu translation of a No Investment, No Life story. "We had planned to have a press conference as a replacement event, but were unable to do so since assets were not complete. We'll be announcing new titles individually as timing permits. Several will debut around July to August." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-final-fantasy-game-review&captions=true"] This answer reveals not only that new games will be announced next month and in August as well, but that an E3 replacement press conference was planned as well. Had this press conference not fallen through, Square Enix would have been aligned with Xbox and Ubisoft in post-E3 cancellation plans. EA did something similar by holding a digital EA Play Live in light of E3 2020's cancellation as well. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/22/kingdom-hearts-melody-of-memory-announcement-trailer"] As for what to expect in terms of new titles from Square Enix, not much is known. There's the possibility of a Final Fantasy XVI announcement, considering that Final Fantasy XV, the last new numbered entry — remakes aside — was released in 2016. Hot off the heels of Final Fantasy VII Remake's success, a sequel to that entry could be a possibility. Since E3's cancellation, we've already seen the company announce two new games in the form of the mysterious Project Athia and rhythm action game Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. We'll hopefully learn more soon, as Square Enix decides to announce these new games on an individual basis. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Dying Light – Hellraid DLC Release Date Set for July

Techland has announced the release date for the Hellraid DLC coming to Dying Light. The dark fantasy-themed content will now be released on July 23 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 for $9.99. Dying Light - Hellraid will also get a beta this weekend for anyone who pre-orders the DLC on Steam. Dying Light - Hellraid is a DLC expansion to Dying Light, Techland’s open-world zombie game. This is not a full-on standalone game, but rather DLC content the developers created while the originally announced Hellraid project is on hold. Techland is not working on the full Hellraid at this time. Instead the studio is developing Dying Light 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/26/dying-light-hellraid-release-date-trailer"] In the new release date trailer above, you can see players explore a dark fantasy world where instead of zombies, they fight demonic hellspawn while using medieval weapons. There will be both single-player and co-op options as well. The pre-order beta will be hosted this weekend from June 26 to June 29. Anyone who pre-orders the Hellraid DLC through Steam can gain access to the beta. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/26/dying-light-2-26-minutes-of-gameplay-with-developer-commentary"] Dying Light 2 was originally set to be released this spring but was delayed so the developers could make further improvements to the core game. Check out a 26-minute gameplay preview with developer commentary in the video above. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Chiwetel Ejiofor Confirms Mordo’s Return

Chiwetel Ejiofor has confirmed his return as Mordo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Ejiofor told Screen Rant the news while doing press for his upcoming movie, The Old Guard. The Mordo actor expressed his enthusiasm to return to the MCU, and says production might start soon. "We're hoping to start pretty soon [on production for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness] is what I can tell you," Ejiofor said. "So, you know, as soon as possible. We're all really excited to get going and to get cracking with it. I can't wait." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Ejiofor was first rumored to return as Mordo in January. The website that published the Ejiofor rumor also says that it believes Clea and Brother Voodoo are a part of the film, but that is not confirmed at this time. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was recently delayed to March 2022 after the release dates of Black Widow, Eternals and Shang-Chi were pushed. Shang-Chi is currently set to open on Doctor Strange's original release date of May 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/what-is-doctor-strange-2s-multiverse-of-madness"] Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has confirmed he will take over directing duties on Doctor Strange 2 from the first film's director, Scott Derrickson. Plot details are still scarce on Doctor Strange 2, but the showrunner of the Loki series is supposedly working on the script. Producer Kevin Feige has already said that the Loki series will be tied directly to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/06/phase-4-marvel-movies-and-series-should-have-always-been-this-way-what-to-watch"] In the world of the MCU, Agents of SHIELD is currently airing its final season and after that is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ in August. However, the production on that series was shut down due to COVID-19, and it's not clear if it will make its original release schedule. Black Widow is currently set for theaters on November 6 and WandaVision will drop on Disney+ in December. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who is very excited to see Doctor Strange 2.

Microsoft to Permanently Close All But 4 Physical Stores

Microsoft has announced that it will be permanently closing all of its retail stores, while four physical locations in London, NYC, Sydney, and Redmond will be re-imagined as Microsoft Experience Centers. Microsoft announced the news and said that "the company’s retail team members will continue to serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities and remotely providing sales, training, and support." Microsoft has told The Verge that no layoffs will result from today's decision. Microsoft closed its retail stores in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had yet to re-open them. Since then, there focus has obviously shifted to its digital storefronts on Microsoft.com and the stores on both Xbox and Windows PC, which "reach more than 1.2 billion people every month in 190 markets." “We deliberately built teams with unique backgrounds and skills that could serve customers from anywhere. The evolution of our workforce ensured we could continue to serve customers of all sizes when they needed us most, working remotely these last months,” Microsoft Corporate Vice Pesident David Porter said in a statement. “Speaking over 120 languages, their diversity reflects the many communities we serve. Our commitment to growing and developing careers from this talent pool is stronger than ever.” In April, Microsoft explained its plan to take care of its employees in this changed world we are living in, saying how many employees had already shifted to remote work and had how it had continued to "provide regular pay for team members through the pandemic." This news arrives in the same year as the launch of Microsoft's newest console, the Xbox Series X, which is expected to be released in Holiday 2020. [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.

Cuphead Netflix Series Gets a First Teaser

Netflix has shared an inside peek at The Cuphead Show in a new video that offers fans a closer look at the show's animation style. The streaming giant invited fans to take a behind-the-scenes look at the "intricate, nostalgic design" of the animated series in a new teaser shared on Twitter. The short video showcases character concept art for Cuphead (Tru Valentino) and his brother Mugman (Frank Todaro), together with Fleischer-style scenes that have been created to tell the tale of Cuphead, who is described as a "lovable scamp." The show's "ragtag tribe of enthusiastic artists and animators" provide an insightful commentary over the footage, with the team sharing details of everything involved in the creative process, from character creation and storyboarding to the role of the voice actors. The video concludes with another look at the official poster for the series, followed by a "coming soon" title card. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/18/6-games-that-should-be-netflix-shows-up-at-noon"] "Reimagining the Fleischer style with these incredibly relatable siblings is gonna be pretty fresh and new," executive producer CJ Kettler promised in one clip, while art director Andrea Fernandez suggested that the show would "bring you back to the wonder of childhood." Similarly to its video game counterpart, The Cuphead Show will follow the unique misadventures of the world's colourful characters through 1930s-style animation, however, it will not be a retelling of the game. The character-driven comedy will be hand-drawn, though not entirely to paper this time, and not by Studio MDHR themselves, but rather Netflix's own in-house animation studio. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cuphead-sketch-work&captions=true"] Netflix's The Cuphead Show does not have a release date yet, so, for now, you'll have to stick to playing the game. In our review of the Cuphead game, we praised both its incredible hand-drawn graphics and its meticulous co-op challenge. Though it originally released as an Xbox One game and a PC game, it has since been ported to Nintendo Switch and, as IGN exclusively reported, it's also on the way to Tesla vehicles as well. It has sold over 4 million copies so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Read a Free Excerpt of Dwarf Story, by W. W. Marplot

From the backyards of the American suburbs to a fantasy world where dwarves, fairies, and dragons are real, the new book Dwarf Story promises to take readers on a journey where homework and cell phones collide with a mystical turf war. Yeah, it must be Wednesday! Written by Professor W.W. Marplot, Dwarf Story tells the tale of middle-school student Arty, who stumbles upon "an ax-swinging, bearded, sweaty warrior Dwarf." Soon he and his friends realize that all manner of magical creatures has converged on their everyday lives, which of course leads to an adventure as the kids follow the clues in an attempt to figure out the mystery behind these critters. "And also," the book's logline reminds us, "whether you can give aspirin to Pixies." According to Waxing Gibbous Books, Professor Welkin Westicotter Marplot, of Coillemuir, Scotland, "is a collector of esoteric tales of global wisdom and curator of ancient manuscripts. He is a recluse and, as he claims, has been collecting and collating adventure and fantasy stories for over a century." Today we've got a free sample of Dwarf Story for you to check out. The book, which is available for pre-order now, will be released on June 30. Read on for the excerpt, and check out the cover below as well! Dwarf-Story-Background Dwarf Story is available for pre-order now and will be released on June 30 as both an e-book and in paperback. And for more on W. W. Marplot and Dwarf Story, head to the official site right here.

The Last of Us Part 2 Is the Fastest-Selling PS4 Exclusive Ever

The Last of Us Part II has officially sold through over 4 million copies as of June 21, 2020, making it the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive ever. Senior Vice President of PlayStation Worldwide Marketing at SIE Eric Lempel took to PlayStation.Blog to reveal the milestone, all but confirming that The Last of Us Part 2 has surpassed Marvel's Spider-Man as Sony's fastest-selling exclusive for the PlayStation 4 in its first three days. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/20/14-brilliant-little-details-in-the-last-of-us-part-2"] Neil Druckmann, Vice President of Naughty Dog and Director of The Last of Us Part II, also shared a message with fans of the post-apocalyptic game we called a "Masterpiece."
"We are so immensely grateful to the millions of fans around the world that have played The Last of Us Part II and shared their experiences with us over the last week," Druckmann said. "We set out to tell a new kind of story, one that deals with difficult themes and would challenge you in unexpected ways. Hearing how the experience has resonated with so many of you and witnessing the type of thoughtful discussions it has sparked has been so incredible. We’ve also been so inspired by your creativity — whether it’s your gorgeous Photo Mode shots, jaw-dropping gameplay GIFs, or the songs you’ve recorded using Ellie’s guitar. " "The Last of Us Part II was made possible thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of talented and passionate developers here at Naughty Dog. We can imagine no greater honor than seeing that same passion mirrored by the people playing it. Thank you for helping us reach this amazing milestone."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-review-screenshots&captions=true"] For more on The Last of Us Part 2, which was also the fastest-selling boxed PS4 game in the UK, read Druckmann's comments on how there are "no plans" for DLC for The Last of Us Part 2 and check out 14 brilliant details in the sequel to the 2013 classic. [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.

The Last of Us Part 2 Is the Fastest-Selling PS4 Exclusive Ever

The Last of Us Part II has officially sold through over 4 million copies as of June 21, 2020, making it the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive ever. Senior Vice President of PlayStation Worldwide Marketing at SIE Eric Lempel took to PlayStation.Blog to reveal the milestone, all but confirming that The Last of Us Part 2 has surpassed Marvel's Spider-Man as Sony's fastest-selling exclusive for the PlayStation 4 in its first three days. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/20/14-brilliant-little-details-in-the-last-of-us-part-2"] Neil Druckmann, Vice President of Naughty Dog and Director of The Last of Us Part II, also shared a message with fans of the post-apocalyptic game we called a "Masterpiece."
"We are so immensely grateful to the millions of fans around the world that have played The Last of Us Part II and shared their experiences with us over the last week," Druckmann said. "We set out to tell a new kind of story, one that deals with difficult themes and would challenge you in unexpected ways. Hearing how the experience has resonated with so many of you and witnessing the type of thoughtful discussions it has sparked has been so incredible. We’ve also been so inspired by your creativity — whether it’s your gorgeous Photo Mode shots, jaw-dropping gameplay GIFs, or the songs you’ve recorded using Ellie’s guitar. " "The Last of Us Part II was made possible thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of talented and passionate developers here at Naughty Dog. We can imagine no greater honor than seeing that same passion mirrored by the people playing it. Thank you for helping us reach this amazing milestone."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-review-screenshots&captions=true"] For more on The Last of Us Part 2, which was also the fastest-selling boxed PS4 game in the UK, read Druckmann's comments on how there are "no plans" for DLC for The Last of Us Part 2 and check out 14 brilliant details in the sequel to the 2013 classic. [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.

Square Enix Announces The World Ends With You Anime Project

Square Enix has revealed that The World Ends With You has become an anime project, and is currently in the works.

A newly-created TWEWY "The Animation" Twitter account notes that a full reveal of the project is coming during Anime Expo Lite on Friday, July 3 at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern (that's July 4 at 2am UK / 11am AEST).

Anime Expo Lite will be a free livestream this year - it previously teased a collaboration with The World Ends With You during its key art reveal back in late May. You can check out the full TWEWY "The Animation" website here, which features a countdown and a glimpse at the 104 building, an iconic set piece from the 2007 Nintendo DS game, set in the Shibuya ward in Tokyo.

If you've never heard of The World Ends With You before, it's a one-off Square Enix RPG with a massive cult following. The game breathes Shibuya youth culture and was worked on by Final Fantasy and Kingdom Heart's character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Characters from the game have featured in Kingdom Hearts games since its release, such as 3DS spin-off Dream Drop Distance. A port of the game was revealed in early 2018 and has since launched on the Nintendo Switch. You can check out our review of the port here, which we called "simultaneously a good port and a bad one." If you need some more convincing, here's an opinion piece detailing why you should care about The World Ends With You. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.