The Last of Us Part 2 sees Ellie facing off against new human threats as she ventures into Seattle, Washington, but of course the world of Naughty Dog's post-pandemic series is home to plenty of infected enemies as well. And while the familiar forms these foes take return in the sequel, they've changed in some notable ways, as new types have also begun to appear. While you can check out IGN's The Last of Us Part 2 final preview for a breakdown of how the new and improved combat can play out, Part 2 Director Neil Druckmann spoke to IGN about how the development team approached the return of the Clickers, Bloaters, Stalkers, and the new Shamblers. "Like everything we do in The Last of Us, it has to feel grounded and believable in the world we built in the first game. With this game specifically, we wanted to find ways to add greater mechanical depth than any previous Naughty Dog game," Druckmann said. When it came to adding a new type of infected enemy, the Shambler, Druckmann noted that it has to "have a lineage, it has to have the same physiology that we established in the first game," to feel believable as something new in this world. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/01/the-last-of-part-2-the-final-preview"] Shamblers have the ability to hurl noxious gas bombs at the player, which explode into a damaging, sight-obscuring cloud of smoke, and the foe does the same thing itself when defeated. Druckmann said this enemy idea played to the team's combat ambitions for the sequel. "One [reason for the Shambler] is it gets you to move, and the corrosive damage is [useful] when we don't want you to just stand still, we want the fights to feel dynamic," he said. "And, two, like any good horror [enemy], it limits your senses, it blocks your vision. So while the mechanic on its own might seem simple on paper, it's when you start combining it with all the other infected that can be coupled with the Shambler, it becomes really interesting. You have this situation where it bursts and you have this cloud you're trying to run away from and you don't quite see where the Shambler is. Now you have a Runner running through that cloud emerging from it; now the Runners become more dangerous." And, given that time has passed between the original and the sequel, and that Naughty Dog has also spent time improving Ellie's suite of moves, with new abilities like jumping and dodging, the returning infected types needed to be altered to present new challenges as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-new-screenshots&captions=true"] "Because we introduced dodge and now you can dodge Clickers in a way you couldn't in the first game, now with Clickers, we have to find ways to make them more dangerous. Because when they charge at you, with Joel, he'd die; Ellie can dodge out of the way. So now Clickers are faster and more nimble as well to compensate for all the new mechanics that Ellie has," he said. "Likewise because of the tech of the PS4, we can have more infected onscreen. There are scenarios where you could have a whole hoard of Runners chasing you and, when the number is larger, Runners become more dangerous." Perhaps one of the scariest foes Ellie will face is the Stalker infected type, which returns from the original game but marks a chance for Naughty Dog to more deeply explore this type of enemy. "With the first game we introduced the Stalkers, [but] we didn't really get a chance to develop them and develop different setups with them," Druckmann explained. "We can really play to the horror of the infected and instead of just charging at you, they will actually run away from you and hide, and look for opportunities to surprise and lunge at you. Then they'll attack as a pack, which creates a different kind of tension. You know they're around, they're actually more quiet, so listen mode doesn't always reveal where they are." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-last-of-us-part-2-state-of-play-impressions-beyond-episode-647"] For more on The Last of Us Part 2's combat, find out what Druckmann told us last year about how enemy dogs lead to tough choices in The Last of Us Part 2, learn about some of the incredible tiny details Naughty Dog is filling the sequel with, and find out when you can read IGN's The Last of Us Part 2 review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, IGN's weekly PlayStation podcast. Find him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Codemasters has secured the official WRC (World Rally Championship) license as part of a new deal that runs through until 2027. This restores the license to Codemasters, who last made an official WRC licensed game in 2002. As reported by GamesIndustry, Codemasters has signed the exclusive five-year deal that not only allows the company to develop and publish official WRC games, but also run associated esports tournaments. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/20/wrc-9-announcement-trailer"] The developer’s last game shipped as an official WRC product was 2002’s Colin McRae Rally 3. The license was then passed to Evolution Studios, who began the WRC series in 2001. The official license was picked up by developer Milestone in 2010, and then Kylotonn in 2015. Kyloton and publisher BigBen Interactive will maintain the license until 2023, when it will pass over to Codemasters. With the WRC series, Codemasters will have two rally franchises in-house, as the developer currently has the Dirt series, itself the evolution of the once WRC-official Colin McRae Rally games. Codemasters plans to continue Dirt, and already has another entry planned ahead of the start of their tenure on WRC in 2023. This will also mark the company’s second major license; Codemasters currently develops the official F1 racing video games. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/07/dirt-5-announcement-trailer"] The WRC games from Codemasters will be released annually for console, PC, and mobile platforms, with the first game arriving in the 2023/2024 financial year. For more from Codemasters, check out the upcoming F1 2020, and the latest details on Dirt 5, which features voice actor legends Troy Baker and Nolan North. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

WWE has unveiled a free version of WWE Network, with more than 15,000 action-packed WWE titles available at launch. The company's award-winning digital streaming service has debuted a no-cost version of its content library, which includes new shows, original series and flagship programmes, together with historical WWE PPV's, events and highlights. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/10/wrestlemania-37-will-be-held-at-sofi-stadium-los-angeles-in-2021-ign-news"] "The launch of WWE Network's free version is a key component of our company's digitization strategy and a new way for all fans to be able to experience premium WWE content," Jayar Donlan, WWE Executive Vice President of Advanced Media, said in a statement. "As we continue to reimagine WWE Network's offering, the free version will serve as an effective way to reach a broader group of consumers and allow them to experience the history and spectacle of WWE." The free version of WWE Network is not ad-supported at launch. The robust library boasts new shows such as Raw Talk, which will stream on Monday night each week, alongside other originals like Monday Night War, Ride Along and Table for 3. In addition, WWE flagships Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and NXT will be available together with a selection of highlight shows, including Top 10 and The Best of WWE. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=most-devastating-finishing-moves-in-wwe-history&captions=true"] WWE's 24/7 streaming network launched in 2014, offering wrestling fans exclusive access to live and on-demand programming with some original series and special partnerships. However, earlier this year, the company switched up its strategy by making a large amount of the WWE Network's content available for free ahead of WrestleMania 36; The Hollywood Reporter notes that this move resulted in the streamer's highest weekend of signups. The all-new, free-tiered edition of the sports entertainment giant's digital platform is available via the WWE App on any device, including TVs, gaming consoles, mobile phones, tablets, and computers. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has revealed that demand for The Last of Us Part 2 "remains strong" despite major story spoilers circulating online. Specifically, the spoilers appear to have had a limited effect on preorders for the game. In an interview with CNET, Ryan acknowledged the unfortunate situation, but mentioned that Sony has "tallied more preorders in Europe for The Last of Us Part 2 than it did for Marvel's Spider-Man at the same point before its launch." Ryan went on to say that he hopes The Last of Us Part 2 will be "a defining game for this generation," and added that while there haven't been any plans revealed for bringing the game to the PS5, The Last of Us Part 2 will run on the new console "without issue." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/the-last-of-us-part-ii-inside-the-story-video"] Back in late April, major spoilers for the game circulated online, ruining some major moments of the game for fans waiting to play the hotly anticipated sequel. They're still doing the rounds, so please, be careful out there! Not long to go now until June 19, when the game launches worldwide on PS4. For more on The Last of Us Part 2, check out our article covering the game's incredible tiny character details. IGN's review of the game will go live on Friday June 12, at 12:01AM Pacific Time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A listing for an unannounced 'Prey VR' has been found on the website of UK retailer ShopTo. The page, which was seemingly taken down after being discovered, suggests that the game would be exclusive to PSVR. Following the original link to the listing now results in a 404, but Twitter user Nibellion managed to grab a screenshot prior to its deletion.

Retailer ShopTo lists Prey VR for PlayStation VRhttps://t.co/BIZJ2jrrHt pic.twitter.com/fSCnS268xU

— Nibel (@Nibellion) June 1, 2020

If the listing wasn't made in error, it's currently unclear what form the supposed game would take. Bethesda has a prolific recent history with VR games, previously porting VR versions of its tentpole games, such as Doom VFR, Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim VR. It may well be that Arkane's Prey is getting a similar treatment. Prey has already had a VR outing in the form of Typhon Hunter, a PC/PSVR spinoff from the main game where you can solve puzzles inside of VR escape rooms and enjoy a multiplayer game mode similar to Prop Hunt from Garry's Mod, where players can mimic inanimate objects. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/02/15/the-first-11-minutes-of-prey"] This Shopto listing appears to be distinct from Typhon Hunter, however, which has stoked a lot of interest from fans of the base game. We reviewed Prey back in 2017, calling the game's space station setting "fantastically explorable." In other Arkane news, footage of the studio's cancelled Half-Life episode, Ravenholm, was recently revealed to the public for the first time. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A majority of The Lord of the Rings trilogy cast, plus Oscar-winning LOTR director Peter Jackson, reunited this weekend for Josh Gad's Reunited Apart YouTube series as a way to raise money for the charity No Kid Hungry. During the episode, which lasted almost an hour, Jackson dug into the famous Mordor speech made by Sean Bean's Boromir during the formation of the Fellowship. You know the one. It includes the lines "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful." Yup. it's the speech that launched a million "One Does Not..." memes over the past several years. "That entire speech that Sean had to deliver at the Council of Elrond was written the night before," Jackson explained. "It's long and we gave it to Sean the morning he arrived. What Sean did, which I thought was really clever, is he got a print-out of the speech taped to his knee." "It was on his knee and when he did that scene, you'll see [Jackson mimes Bean looking down, pretending to be deep in thought]." "If you watch the scene now, you'll see every time that Sean has to check his script." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Amazon's massive Lord of the Rings TV series production was one of many projects shut down due to the coronavirus over the past few months, though New Zealand began slowly reopening for business after the first week of May, allowing for shooting to eventually resume for both LOTR: The Series and James Cameron's Avatar 2. Back in January, one of the LOTR series' lead actors was replaced when Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones) joined the show, replacing Will Poulter (Black Mirror) as a young hero named Beldor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] [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.

A majority of The Lord of the Rings trilogy cast, plus Oscar-winning LOTR director Peter Jackson, reunited this weekend for Josh Gad's Reunited Apart YouTube series as a way to raise money for the charity No Kid Hungry. During the episode, which lasted almost an hour, Jackson dug into the famous Mordor speech made by Sean Bean's Boromir during the formation of the Fellowship. You know the one. It includes the lines "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever watchful." Yup. it's the speech that launched a million "One Does Not..." memes over the past several years. "That entire speech that Sean had to deliver at the Council of Elrond was written the night before," Jackson explained. "It's long and we gave it to Sean the morning he arrived. What Sean did, which I thought was really clever, is he got a print-out of the speech taped to his knee." "It was on his knee and when he did that scene, you'll see [Jackson mimes Bean looking down, pretending to be deep in thought]." "If you watch the scene now, you'll see every time that Sean has to check his script." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Amazon's massive Lord of the Rings TV series production was one of many projects shut down due to the coronavirus over the past few months, though New Zealand began slowly reopening for business after the first week of May, allowing for shooting to eventually resume for both LOTR: The Series and James Cameron's Avatar 2. Back in January, one of the LOTR series' lead actors was replaced when Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones) joined the show, replacing Will Poulter (Black Mirror) as a young hero named Beldor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] [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.

With Disney theme parks having lost $1 billion due to coronavirus closures, and tentative plans in place to reopen Walt Disney World Resort in Florida this July, Disney World's shopping district, Disney Springs, in Orlando, recently reopened to the public back on May 20...with some added advice from a pair of Stormtroopers. The following video comes from the Disney Springs YouTube account and it shows a couple of First Order Stormtroopers performing a handful of pre-recorded balcony skits about social-distancing and protecting oneself and others by using masks. Take a look... [youtube clip_id="_cCmJX7fOmU"] "Yeah, I'm going to need you to move one male bantha's length away, please," says one Stormtrooper as she suffers the aggressive arrogance of her cocky co-worker. When Walt Disney World Resort starts up again next month, the company's plan outlines a limited capacity for the park, with visitors having to secure a reservation for the day they wish to attend in advance. The capacity of the park will then incrementally increase as the county furthers its reopening phases. Looking for more Star Wars news floating around the galaxy? There's a new “#MakeSolo2Happen" movement online, a new Star Wars movie from Taika Waititi in the works, and some new quotes from Mark Hamill about if he'd ever want to play Luke Skywalker again. If you're looking to travel way back in the realm of Star Wars fandom, check out these pictures and video from A New Hope's first ever tour of the sci-fi fan convention circuit back in the summer of 1976. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/06/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-blooper-clip"] [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.