There's a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie reportedly in "early development" at Disney, with Margot Robbie attached to star and her Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson aboard to script. The female-led project, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "is not intended to be a spinoff of the long-running franchise that had pirate Jack Sparrow at its center but rather a wholly original story with new characters under the Pirates moniker." No further details about the plot or who might direct the film are available. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/08/harley-quinn-and-black-canary-respond-to-ign-comments] Furthermore, this Pirates project is said to be separate from the recently reported Pirates reboot that remains in the works with the franchise's veteran writer Ted Elliott and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin. Pirates franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer will produce both projects. Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise has grossed over $4 billion at the worldwide box office. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pirates-caribbean-villains-monsters&captions=true"] Robbie will reprise her role as DC's Harley Quinn in next year's The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn. In addition to scripting Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, Christina Hodson is writing the Flash and Batgirl movies. Recently we learned Michael Keaton may reprise his Batman role for both those DC movies.

The Boys Season 2 will premiere its first three episodes worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on September 4, 2020, with the remaining five episodes airing every Friday through October 9. Series creator Erik Kripke calls Season 2, "crazier, stranger, more intense, more emotional. In fact, it’s too much — so the Surgeon General has insisted we air the first three episodes on September 4, then air the remaining five episodes weekly after that. We wanted to give you time to freak out, digest, discuss, come down from the high, before we give you another dose." All of this exciting news was announced during a special virtual event hosted by Season 2 guest star Patton Oswalt. The streamer also revealed a new Season 2 poster that you can check out below: [caption id="attachment_237273" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Photo courtesy of Amazon Prime Video.[/caption] Here's how Amazon describes the upcoming second season of The Boys: "The Boys are on the run from the law, hunted by the Supes, and desperately trying to regroup and fight back against Vought. In hiding, Hughie (Jack Quaid), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), Frenchie (Tomer Capon), and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) try to adjust to a new normal, with Butcher (Karl Urban) nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) must navigate her place in The Seven as Homelander (Antony Starr) sets his sights on taking complete control. His power is threatened with the addition of Stormfront (Aya Cash), a social-media-savvy new Supe, who has an agenda of her own. On top of that, the Supervillain threat takes center stage and makes waves as Vought seeks to capitalize on the nation’s paranoia." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/26/amazons-the-boys-season-1-review"] For more on the series, find out what the cast of The Boys have been binging while stuck at home, check out these images of Aya Cash in her Stormfront costume, and learn what's in store for Black Noir in Season 2. [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Today Hasbro revealed the latest entries into its line of high-quality collectible G.I. Joe figures, and the new additions could possibly the best yet. Joining the Destro figure revealed earlier this year is a new Profit Director Destro, an homage to one of the rarest and most valuable figures from the 3.75-inch line, as well as several more fan-favorites. Check out the gallery below to see even more of the G.I. Joe Classified Series Profit Director Destro. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-classified-series-profit-director-destro&captions=true"] The figure joins a slew of new additions to the G.I. Joe Classified line, the next wave of which hits later this year. US readers can preorder the figures through Amazon or directly from Hasbro Pulse. [poilib element="commerceDeal" parameters="slug=hasbro-gi-joe-classified-series-wave-3-preorders"] Hasbro Pulse also has a "Regal Variant" Cobra Commander available exclusively through its site. Earlier in the week, Hasbro announced a new line of "kibble-free" high-quality Transformers figures in the same vein as the Star Wars Black and G.I. Joe Classified series, the Transformer R.E.D. series. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and rabid '80s kid who just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.  

We're happy to announce the IGN Summer of Gaming 2020 Awards - as well as a Digital After Party Show presented by FUSER - coming on June 30. To cap off our month-long showcase of new game reveals, exclusive trailers, in-depth interviews, and partner and publisher streams, we'll be handing out awards for our favourite moments throughout the Summer of Gaming. Those awards will be:

• Best New Game Announcement
• Best Trailer
• Biggest Comeback
• Best Gameplay Demo
• Best Overall Moment

After a month where we've revealed the likes of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, shown off world exclusive gameplay of Mortal Shell, interviewed devs on Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3, and pored over the PS5 reveal, there's a lot to choose from. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/ign-expo-day-5-livestream-biomutant-shadow-arena-more"] Right after we've crowned our winners, we'll be jumping into our After Party Show, where we'll be running brand new gameplay of FUSER, the revolutionary new music game from NCSoft and Harmonix, capped off with a DJ set from Galantis. We're also offering you the chance to join us in our Zoom VIP room, where you can hang out with IGN hosts, our DJ guest, and even get shown onscreen during the show. If you want a chance to be one of our VIPs, here's the entry form to make that happen. And on top of all that, we'll still be bringing you brand new trailers, gameplay demos and developer interviews, as well as a Resident Evil 3 speedrunner challenge with Hazeblade. Here's how to watch the show live. As always, our Summer of Gaming content is supporting important causes like the World Health Organization and The Bail Project - if you're able, we're welcoming donations to both at donate.ign.com. You can check out our full June 30 schedule below:

June 30 - Summer of Gaming 2020 Awards and After Party Show

IGN Exclusives*, Trailers, Gameplay Demos, and Developer Interviews:

• Airborne Kingdom - Exclusive Gameplay Trailer
• Fallout 76 - DLC Roadmap
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning - Exclusive Gameplay and Interview
• Madden NFL 21 - Gameplay Interview

  Pre-Show Charity Stream (1pm PT):

• Resident Evil 3 Speedrunner Countdown Challenge by Hazeblade

  Summer of Gaming 2020 Awards and After Party Show (3pm PT) [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Sea of Thieves will get custom servers in the "near future," according to developer Rare. Custom servers have been a widely-requested feature and it seems that Rare has heard the requests. In a blog post made on June 25, Sea of Thieves executive producer Joe Neate explained the feature will be coming to the game in the form of an early Alpha version. This Alpha version will be open to select creators and community groups. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-xbox-one-first-party-review&captions=true"] "We have been working for a while on formalising this support, and in the near future we're going to bring an early Alpha version of Custom Servers to Sea of Thieves as a tool for selected creators and community groups to utilise for community events," Neate said. "We will be working with these creators and community groups to test Custom Servers in a live environment, to gather feedback and prioritise future development priorities in this area." Key features of these custom servers in the Alpha include the ability to set up a Custom Adventure Server, customization of ship number and types prior to starting, generation of a code to distribute to community members to allow them to join, and no gold or reputation progression from custom server sessions. Neate said the purpose of custom servers in Sea of Thieves is to allow creative players the opportunity to use the Sea of Thieves sandbox to create unique experiences for their communities. He stressed that they are not intended to be used as a PvE server, hence the removal of the ability to earn gold and reputation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/25/sea-of-thieves-the-new-legends-official-sea-of-thieves-showcase-trailer"] As to why the Alpha custom servers are launching to such a limited audience, Neate said that with how bare-bones the feature set currently is, Rare wants to learn how it works with a smaller community before bringing it to a wider audience. He also said that because these servers cost money to run, starting small, "makes sense from a business perspective." Eventually, Neate expects custom servers to be an optional feature that players can access from the Pirate Emporium. For more Sea of Thieves, be sure to check out our latest thoughts on the game in our updated 2020 Sea of Thieves review. After that, read about how Rare successfully reinvented Sea of Thieves. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

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 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.

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.

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 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.