Cobra Commander, leader of the global terrorist organization Cobra and arch-nemesis of the freedom-fighting G.I. Joe military operative force, is joining the G.I. Joe Classified line-up. Take a look at the gallery below to see Cobra Commander in his newest form. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-classified-cobra-commander&captions=true"] The 6-inch line already has figures of Snake Eyes, Roadblock and Scarlett, and at the end of March Hasbro introduced the incredible Destro G.I. Joe Classified figure coming next month. Hasbro said the Cobra Commander figure is basically the classic design "updated to bring the iconic Cobra leader into the modern era." It includes "multiple points of articulation" as well as his "signature sword." I managed to snag the special edition Snake Eyes Classified Series during its first round of availability and I can attest to the quality of the G.I. Joe Classified line. It's one of my favorite figures. If you want to get your hands on the Cobra Commander figure, you can get it only "through a special drop" on NTWRK June 18, 2020 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. If you don't mind waiting, it comes to "most major toy retailers" September 15.  

Microsoft has offered further details about Smart Delivery, the system that automatically upgrades your Xbox One games to Xbox Series X versions if you play them on the next generation console. Explained in an Xbox Wire news post, Smart Delivery will be available for all Xbox Game Studios games, and third party developers are able to take advantage of it should they wish. The system automatically takes care of recognising what console you are on, which data to install, and brings across your save games, too. So, for example, if you’ve been playing Gears 5 on Xbox One, if you buy an Xbox Series X and install Gears 5 on it, the system will automatically install the upgraded, optimised version of the game, and you can continue the campaign from where you last saved on your Xbox One. Check out an exclusive interview with Xbox Series X developer Jason Ronald, below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/xbox-smart-delivery-in-depth-with-microsofts-jason-ronald"] Currently announced games that support Smart Delivery are Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Destiny 2, DiRT 5, Scarlet Nexus, Chorus, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, The Ascent, Call of the Sea, Gears 5, Second Extinction, and Metal: Hellslinger. It should be noted that not all games will have Smart Delivery, and those that do won't all have it from day one. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 releases in September, but CD Projekt Red will not have an upgraded Series X version of the game ready for the console’s release. However, when it does, the standard Xbox One version of the game installed on your Series X will be automatically updated with the enhancements. It’s basically all designed to be as hassle free as possible. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/xbox-series-x-xbox-smart-delivery-trailer"] Microsoft also points out that when a game upgrades, it doesn’t mean you lose the original version. You can have both versions as they are considered as just one game in the system. So for example, if you have both generations of consoles in separate rooms, you’ll simply select whatever game to download - say, Halo Infinite - and the system will download whichever version of the game is appropriate, rather than asking you if you want the original or Series X upgraded version. Smart Delivery is notably different to backwards compatibility, in that it’s about making your old games better on the new console, rather than just supported. Xbox Series X will also continue to support backwards compatibility, meaning the console will have thousands of games available to play from launch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] For more, see our look at how the pressure is all on Microsoft to reveal its first party games after the PS5 reveal, an insight from a developer on the differences between Xbox Series X and PS5, and further evidence that there is a second version of the next-gen Xbox called Lockhart. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has confirmed that Season 2 will drop the show's "controversial" multi-timeline format in favour of a linear story, though it will still feature flashbacks and flash-forwards. In an interview with The Wrap, Hissrich discussed some of the changes that have been made for Season 2 of the hit Netflix show, as she promised that the next chapter would be much more streamlined, especially now that the characters' individual stories have intersected to exist on the "same timeline." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/20/henry-cavill-talks-magic-in-the-witcher-and-the-adaptation-for-fans"] For the majority of Season 1, we watched three separate stories unfold - those of witcher Geralt (Henry Cavill), sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and princess Ciri (Freya Allan). It wasn't until Episode 4, "Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials," however, that we came to realize that those stories were not happening at the same time. Ciri's was playing out more closely confined, in the "present," while Geralt and Yennefer's arcs were happening decades in the past, leading to some confusion for viewers. "Obviously, it was one of the most controversial parts of Season 1 and I didn't expect it to be as controversial as it was. But it's something I still stand behind, in terms of storytelling," Hissrich said, adding that the "goal was to get to know each of these characters individually, and the only want to do that was to separate their timelines." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-witcher-season-1-ending-explained"] Despite defending the decision, Hissrich confirmed that Season 2 does not include multiple timelines for its characters, making the story easier for audiences to follow and understand, even though there will still be some fun challenges with time. "What's great though is [the characters] have intersected now. So what we'll see in Season 2 is that all of our characters are existing on the same timeline," she explained. "What that allows us to do storywise though is to play with time in slightly different ways. We get to do flashbacks, we get to do flash-forwards, we get to actually integrate time in a completely different way that we weren't able to do in Season 1." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"] Production on season two of The Witcher shut down back in March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, however, it was recently reported that the show had been given the "green light" to start filming again. The Witcher season 2 is currently expected to premiere in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

EA has formally announced Star Wars: Squadrons, a first-person space dogfighting game set after the events of Return of the Jedi, and coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC (via Origin, Steam and Epic Games Store). It will be released for $39.99 USD on October 2. Developed by Motive Studios, the game will include both a single-player story and multiplayer modes (with cross-play support across all platforms), and can be played in VR on PS4 and PC. EA will premiere gameplay at EA Play Live on June 18 (which you can watch as part of IGN's Summer of Gaming). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/star-wars-squadrons-official-trailer"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Story Mode Details

Squadrons will feature a single player story mode set after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Death Star II. Alternating between two customisable pilots, the story will feature brand new characters, and cameos from familiar faces. The two pilots you play as will show you both sides of the game's conflict – one flies for the New Republic's Vanguard Squadron, and the other for the shattered Galactic Empire's Titan Squadron. In a press release, Ian Frazier, creative director at Motive says: “Through the collaboration of the teams at Motive and Lucasfilm, we’ve been able to create a high-fidelity starfighter experience with an authentic storyline that invites Star Wars fans to explore never-before-seen corners of the galaxy in their own ship. We’re excited to show all this in action this week at EA Play Live.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-squadrons-7-images&captions=true"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Multiplayer Details

Multiplayer will take the form of 5v5 battles, with two modes announced. Fleet Battles will task each team with destroying the opposing teams flagship, while Dogfights will simply ask each team to destroy as many opponents as possible. Locations will be both known and unknown, with Yavin Prime and the shattered moon of Galitan announced so far. The announcement press release makes clear that squadron composition will be important, implying multiple ship classes to experiment with. EA also confirmed that, while Star Wars: Squadrons will include cosmetic and gameplay-related customisation, all upgrades will be earned solely through playing the game. Playing through the game will earn you weapons, hulls, engines and shields to allow you to tweak your starfighter into whatever you want it to be, while cosmetics will alter your cockpit, ship exterior and pilot. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Release Date and Price

Star Wars: Squadrons will be released on October 2 as both a physical and digital product, for $39.99 USD (other pricings unavailable at time of writing). EA Access and Origin Access Basic subscribers can play 10 hours of the game for free at launch, and will get 10% off if they choose to buy it. Origin Access Premier subscribers will be given the full PC game on release. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Update: Added the detail that the expansion areas would scale to even a team of level 100 Pokemon. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Pokemon Sword and Shield's DLC expansions, Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, will feature level scaling, meaning Pokemon trainers of any level (who have reached the first Wild Area) can enjoy the new DLC content.

During our 30-minute hands-off preview of Pokemon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor DLC, we noticed that the first trainer battle were around level 60 - the same as the highest level Pokémon in the trainer's party.

We asked Nintendo product marketing specialist Demetrius Boggs if this meant level scaling was in place, and he confirmed that Pokemon Sword and Shield's Expansion Pass area's trainers and wild Pokemon will in fact scale with your own Pokemon levels. Specifically, Boggs confirmed the DLC areas would even scale to match a team of level 100 Pokemon.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/03/pokemon-sword-and-shield-isle-of-armor-and-crown-tundra-expansion-pass-trailer"]

Not only that, but these areas can be accessed as soon as you reach the Wild Area of Pokémon Sword and Shield, just a few hours into the games. So whether you've just started or have already completed every post-game activity and have a full party of level-100 Pokémon, both parts of the expansion pass--The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra--will match your Pokémon's level.

As of now, we're unsure whether the DLC areas will continue to scale with your level, or if the areas become locked to the level your Pokémon were when you first visit, but we will update this as soon as we hear back from the Pokémon Company.

Regardless, this is great news - anyone will be able to enjoy the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass at an appropriate level regardless of how high or low level their Pokémon are. (Though we can't comment on how difficult or easy this content will be.)

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pokemon-sword-and-shield-isle-of-armor-screenshots&captions=true"]

The Isle of Armor expansion, which will be released on June 17, will send players to a tropical island and will allow them to make their way through a new Pokemon Battle Dojo. By training there with Master Mustard, all players will receive the new legendary Pokemon, Kubfu.

After players obtain Kubfu, they will be given a choice of either going to the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters. Upon completion, Kubfu will evolve into Urshifu. If the Tower of Darkness was chosen, Urshifu will have the Single Strike style, and if the Tower of Waters is chosen, Urshifu will have the Rapid Strike Style.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/13/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-review"]

The Crown Tundra expansion, which is set to be released in Fall 2020, will take place in a snowy, icy tundra with mountains and will feature a ton of Legendary Pokemon, including Galarian forms of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Casey DeFreitas is an editor at IGN. Talk Pokémon with her on Twitter at @ShinyCaseyD.

The developers behind Little Devil Inside, which was shown during Sony's PS5 conference last week, have apologised and promised to change some of the game's enemy designs which contain racist stereotypes. Many on social media made note of this after the trailer debuted during June 11's 'The Future of Gaming' PS5 conference, with Twitter user Lord Balvin pointing out how "tone deaf" the character design is due to its depiction of a tribal character with dreadlocks and large lips. Developers Neostream have responded on Facebook, noting that "Racist stereotypes of any kind were absolutely not intended."

"We were not aware of the stereotypical connotations and wish to apologise to anyone who may have been offended by the character design," the statement reads. According to the developers, their design intention was "to create characters who are protectors/guardians of a particular mystic region in the world of Little Devil Inside." Neostream added that they did not reference any "African and/or Afro-American human tribes" while creating it. Neostream explained how they plan to modify the design in four steps listed below, and added that they may change it entirely if it ends up being unsuitable for the game. 1. Remove the Dreadlocks. 2. Change the bold lips. 3. Change skin tone. 4. Tweak the dart blower so it looks less like a joint. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/little-devil-inside-reveal-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] You can check out some screenshots from Little Devil Inside over on our announcement piece. For more on games from the PS5 conference last week, check out our article covering every game that was revealed during the show. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

UPDATE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced  that the 93rd Academy Awards has been postponed two months, shifting from February 28, 2021 to April 25, 2021. Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement Monday:

“For over a century, movies have played an important role in comforting, inspiring, and entertaining us during the darkest of times. They certainly have this year. Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalized for something beyond anyone’s control.”

It's true! Next year's #Oscars will happen on April 25, 2021.

Here's what else you need to know:

- The eligibility period for the Oscars will be extended to February 28, 2021
- Nominations will be announced on March 15, 2021
- @AcademyMuseum will open on April 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/cTsqOfsf8k

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 15, 2020

Our original report follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is reportedly poised to postpone the 2021 Oscars ceremony and review its eligibility window, in recognition of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy's board of governors are due to convene over Zoom on June 15 to discuss a new agenda for the 93rd Oscars ceremony, which is currently set to take place on February 28, 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/10/2020-oscars-winners-revealed-ign-news"] The report suggests that the ceremony's date is likely to be delayed by as many as eight weeks, as the Academy has apparently secured a new "hold date" in ABC's broadcasting calendar. It is also expected that the eligibility window will be extended beyond the traditional closing period of December 31, 2020, in light of this prospective pushback. Although it is an uncommon occurrence, this wouldn't be the first time the Academy has postponed the annual event. The Oscars were previously delayed in 1938 due to the floods in Los Angeles, then again in 1968; following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and 1981 after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. It is not believed that the format of the Oscars ceremony will be up for discussion yet, even though a great number of events have turned to virtual experiences and online offerings amid the lockdown, as organizers have been forced to find new ways for fans to immerse themselves in the industry from the safety of their own homes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] This comes shortly after the Academy announced a new rule, for the 93rd Oscars only, that will allow movies that debuted on digital or streaming platforms to qualify for Best Picture in this year's race (with some provisions). The majority of the Academy's recent shifts and changes have materialized as a direct result of the global closure of cinemas due to the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent studio delays in theatrical release calendars. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Details pertaining to an unreleased Kingdom Hearts game have been discovered in the hidden files of a recently launched website for mobile game Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road. While datamining the Dark Road website, Reddit user Skullboj found a logo (below) for a project called Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, which appears to be unrelated to the forthcoming mobile title. There are many theories swirling online for what this could be - the focus on music might suggest it's a rhythm game, but the yellow colour scheme and allusion to memory visually ties it to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a card-based spin-off that originally launched on the Game Boy Advance back in 2004. Twitter user Vampirically pointed out that the K and the S in the leaked logo are extended, which within the history of Kingdom Hearts title art suggests that this alleged game will not use Sora as the protagonist. There's also a distinct chance that this isn't a game at all - that musical theme could point to this being a new project for the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra. We have contacted Square Enix for comment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/01/24/kingdom-hearts-3-review"] If there's one thing that's for certain though, it's that the naming scheme for Kingdom Hearts games has always been an unknown quantity, so the game's content is really anyone's guess. In other Kingdom Hearts news, a TV series based on the games is reportedly in development for Disney Plus. You can also check out our review of Kingdom Hearts 3, which we called "a fulfilling evolution" of the franchise. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN surprised at the tame name for this Kingdom Hearts game. Follow him on Twitter.

While holding a Q&A session on his Instagram, director James Gunn revealed the reason why his upcoming Suicide Squad reboot is called, very simply, The Suicide Squad. As Gunn explained to the fan who asked "Why THE Suicide Squad?": "I brought it up kiddingly once and Warners and the producers liked it. There's not much chance of it changing, but you never know." Check it out... The Suicide Squad will feature returning stars Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, and Viola Davis along with new cast members Idris Elba, Pete Davidson, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Peter Capaldi, Taika Waititi, and John Cena. Production on The Suicide Squad ended back at the end of February, before many TV and film shoots had to be shut down due to the pandemic. Because of this, Gunn stated that he could see no reason for The Suicide Squad's release date to move. But that, of course, could change in the upcoming months. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-dcs-the-suicide-squad&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 has just gotten a new, free Gift Bag DLC, The Four Relics of Rivellon, that adds new quests, a new boss and some magical armour. Announced during today's Guerrilla Collective showcase The Four Relics of Rivellon will see you go on the hunt for four magical sets of armour, facing down new enemies (including a brand new Undead Dragon boss), adding new lore to the already packed world of Divinity. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/14/divinity-original-sin-2-hidden-relics-of-rivellon-trailer-and-comic-reveal"] Per a Steam update, the four sets of armour will be:

• Captain Armour - A set of armour that can dominate the minds of those around you. Each piece also boosts Lucky Charm, Persuasion and Bartering.
• Vulture Armour - A light set of armour based off of dwarven rituals. Each part of the set enhances range and damage dealt from higher ground, while the complete set gives the wearer a pair of permanent, vulture-like wings.
• Contamination Armour - An ancient set of armour created from magic thought lost long ago. Each piece offers resistance to poison, while the entire set grants immunity to poison along with a special ability to spawn exploding spores that will damage enemies in combat.
• Devourer Armour - A set of armour said to make its wearer almost invincible. In combat, the armour will mark a certain target in range. Any attacks on this target cannot miss and will deal extra damage.

Guerrilla Collective is part of IGN's Summer of Gaming, which we're running throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.