Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have discovered the closest black hole to Earth, lying only 1000 light-years away in the Telescopium constellation (near the Sagittarius constellation). Unlike every other black hole discovered, this one can be seen with the naked eye. The team of astronomers first found it by tracking two companion stars in the system called HR 6819, using the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, when they were analyzing their findings and stumbled upon it. The report said this could be the first of other black holes similar to this one, to be discovered. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nasa-black-hole-gallery&captions=true"] “An invisible object with a mass at least 4 times that of the Sun can only be a black hole,” ESO scientist Thomas Rivinius, who led the study, explained. The black hole is so near Earth, the astronomers said the stars within the Telescopium constellation can be seen in the southern hemisphere on a clear night, even without a telescope. It was also found to be the first stellar-mass black hole that does not interact aggressively with it's environment – which reportedly makes it appear purely black. "We were totally surprised when we realised that this is the first stellar system with a black hole that can be seen with the unaided eye,” Petr Hadrava, Emeritus Scientist at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague and co-author of the research said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/10/scientists-have-revealed-the-first-photo-of-a-black-hole"] The concluded study was published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and a potential second system similar to the one found, may be on the horizon. Marianne Heida, postdoctoral fellow at ESO and co-author of the paper explained, “We realised that another system, called LB-1, may also be such a triple, though we'd need more observations to say for sure. LB-1 is a bit further away from Earth but still pretty close in astronomical terms, so that means that probably many more of these systems exist. By finding and studying them we can learn a lot about the formation and evolution of those rare stars that begin their lives with more than about 8 times the mass of the Sun and end them in a supernova explosion that leaves behind a black hole." Last year, NASA released a black hole simulation that shows how gravity warps light within a black hole and scientists recently detected the biggest explosion in the galaxy, that was believed to be from a supermassive black hole. For more on black holes, read about how one appeared to break the law of physics itself. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jessie Wade is Homepage Editor at IGN and the science lady. Follow her on Twitter @jessieannwade.

Three-person developer KeelWorks has announced Cygni: All Guns Blazing, an old-school-arcade-style shoot-'em-up (aka shmup) that won an Epic MegaGrant. It is coming to PC with console versions likely to follow. A spokesperson for the game says PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions are also likely, but not officially confirmed as of now. Cygni's story is described as such by the developers: "Encamped within the remains of a long-lost civilization on the planet Cygni, Earth forces are decimated by a surprise attack from a powerful, biomechanical , alien race. As one of the last pilots on the last carrier in the fleet, you are the only line of defense against the unyielding alien bombardment." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cygni-all-guns-blazing-screenshots&captions=true"] One KeelWorks developer, Nareg Kalenderian, is an ex-Pixar artist, which might help explain Cygni's high production value relative to how small its development team is. As for gameplay, "Cygni assaults the eyes, ears and mind to deliver an extraordinarily exhilarating video game experience," say the developers. "Cygni does not seek to reinvent shoot'em ups but to elevate the genre to deliver the heightened sensations of a truly next-generation experience." Cygni: All Guns Blazing is due out in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

According to Master Chief's creator, the towering figure we all know and love had a much skinnier, anime-influenced design at one point. In this month's IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto to discuss the origins of one of the most iconic figures in modern gaming, his advice for up-and-coming game designers, his new real-time tactical game, Disintegration, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/06/disintegration-hands-on-preview-ign-first"] "When I first moved out and joined Bungie, and started working there, on-site, it was just Jason [Jones] and myself working on the very origins of it... the strategy game that was skinned with a sci-fi theme," Lehto said. "Even at that time, there was a character that we called "The Super-Soldier" and that super soldier was, in all honestly, the very root of what became the Master Chief. "It was an armored character. The very first iteration of that thing, I think it was all of 400 polygons. It was this teeny little thing that would stand next to this tank and would run alongside the tank." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/28/halo-infinite-will-be-a-spiritual-reboot-for-the-franchise-ign-unfiltered"] "Then we built this vehicle that would ultimately become the Warthog, that the character could also jump into and drive around. These early versions of that universe, we were exploring some of the tech, of course... but I was responsible for looking at what this universe really was: how it was functioning, what it was made of, how it was going to be built." "The Master Chief, ultimately, was born from that very first model, as it evolved several times... We spent our time going back and forth, making sure we were exploring territory... something we thought would work cohesively together." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-halo-review&captions=true"] "...we all got excited about [the addition of physics to controlling the Warthog] and we decided... we're going to change this to this third-person [camera] game and see how this action plays out. Through that time frame, of course, the Master Chief continued to turn from... this really, really simple block model to something that started to look more like this armored, true 'Super Soldier,' [which is what] we continued to call him at that time." "It wasn't until we got closer to the Macworld demo that... [the first, Super Soldier version of Master Chief] had existed simultaneously with another version of the Chief. One of our concept artists at that time, whose name's Shi Kai Wang, who is a fantastic, great, talented person... had worked on some early concepts that were more anime-inspired, for the Master Chief. We built that character, and it was much more slender and agile-looking, at that time. That's the character that we showcased in the Macworld demo." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2011/10/21/halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-recreating-the-experience"] "It was shortly after that... I felt pretty strongly that the Master Chief, and who the Master Chief really is, needed to embody something that more physically connected with his character." "As we started writing the character... the actual story for Halo... and as we started writing who the Master Chief is... this empty vessel that the character would really take the reins with... that the slender character wasn't the right kind of feel for the Master Chief. He needed to look like a tank that could take on an entire army. That's when I had gone back to some of my original designs for it, and continued to iterate on the final designs for the Master Chief... as we would see in Halo: Combat Evolved." For more on the best, brightest, most interesting minds in the games industry, be sure to check out every episode of Unfiltered, which includes interviews with 343's Bonnie Ross, Valve's Robin Walker and Chris Remo, Respawn's Stig Asmussen, and many, many more.

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Brian Barnett writes features, wiki guides, & more for IGN. Check out his Final Fantasy VII Remake walkthrough, and get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy has revealed that he is working on an anthology spin-off series called American Horror Stories. In a post on Instagram, Murphy explained that the show will feature self-contained hour-long episodes. That means stories that last just a single episode, in contrast to American Horror Story’s anthology approach of a standalone story set across an entire season. Murphy’s photo post features many of the core American Horror Story cast, including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Angela Bassett, taken from a Zoom call. “American Horror Story cast Zoom call," Murphy said. "Where we reminisced about the good times...the spin off we're doing called American Horror Stories (one hour contained episodes)...when we will start filming the next season of the mothership...and other stuff I cannot print.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=american-horror-story-1984-gallery&captions=true"] Murphy posted no further details, so it's currently unclear how far into production American Horror Stories is, or when we can expect to see it air. FX has renewed American Horror Story for a further four seasons, with Season 10 due to start later in 2020. This season will feature Macaulay Culkin, as well as the return of Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. Our review of the first episode of Season 9 - American Horror Story: 1984 - said that the show is freaky and fun once again, and with any luck American Horror Stories can continue to balance the fun with the strange and terrifying. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Civilization VI will be receiving regular DLC updates with the newly announced New Frontier Pass. This season pass-style add-on will add eight new civilizations, nine new leaders, six new game modes, and more on a bi-monthly basis starting on May 21 through March 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/11/civilization-vi-developer-update-new-frontier-pass-video"] The first DLC to be released as part of the New Frontier Pass will be the Maya & Gran Colombia Pack which adds leaders from the respective civilizations, the new Apocalypse game mode, new City-States, Resources, and Natural Wonders. The pass comes in at $39.99 USD / £32.99 (Australian pricing not available at time of writing). Players who pre-order the New Frontier Pass will also receive the Teddy Roosevelt and Catherine de Medici Persona Packs. The Persona Packs re-tools the leaders with a new leader model and background, plus new gameplay bonuses, and an updated agenda. The Persona Packs will be released with the second DLC in July. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=civilization-6-new-frontier-pass-screenshots&captions=true"] Lastly, developer Firaxis announced that there will be free updates between the DLC packs available for everyone, not just players who purchase the New Frontier Pass. Updates will include new maps, scenarios, balance updates, and more. Check below for the full content roadmap as part of the New Frontier Pass: For more, check out IGN’s review of Civilization 6 and its most recent expansion Gathering Storm. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The Media Indie Exchange has announced Guerrilla Collective – a three-day event focused on indie developers and publishers – taking place from June 6-8. It will make up a part of IGN's Summer of Gaming showcase. Produced alongside the Kinda Funny Games Showcase and hosted by Kinda Funny co-founder / ex-IGN lovely man Greg Miller, the event will begin on June 6 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 8pm UK (that's June 7 at 5am AEST), and promises news and announcements "for every platform". Some of the announced participants include Larian (Baldur's Gate 3), Thunderful (the SteamWorld series), ZA/UM (Disco Elysium) and Rebellion (Sniper Elite). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/ign-announces-summer-of-gaming-showcase-for-june"] On June 7, there will be a second online press event, and June 8 will include a day of gameplay demos and developer interviews. You can see a list of all the currently-announced developers and publishers involved in the show at the bottom of this story (although more are promised). The Guerrilla Collective event will also include the Paradox Insider broadcast, the digital version of the yearly PC Gaming Show, and the Future Games Show.

Guerrilla Collective: Full List of Developers and Publishers

• 11 Bit Studios (Frostpunk, This War of Mine)
• Another Indie (SIMULACRA 2, Yuppie Psycho)
• Coffee Stain Studios (Satisfactory, Deep Rock Galactic)
• Fellow Traveller (In Other Waters, Neo Cab)
• Funcom (Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, Conan Exiles)
• Good Shepherd Entertainment (John Wick Hex, The Eternal Cylinder)
• Headup (Bridge Constructor Portal, Pumpkin Jack)
• Humble Publishing (Temtem, Forager)
• Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate III, Divinity: Original Sin II)
• Modern Wolf (Necronator: Dead Wrong, Out There: Oceans of Time)
• Paradox Interactive (Cities: Skylines, Stellaris)
• Raw Fury (Kingdom Two Crowns, Atomicrops)
• Rebellion (Sniper Elite 4, Zombie Army 4: Dead War)
• Those Awesome Guys (Monster Prom, Move or Die, Floppy Knights)
• Thunderful (SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Lonely Mountains: Downhill)
• United Label (Eldest Souls, Röki)
• Versus Evil (The Banner Saga, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire)
• Whitethorn Games (Aground, StarCrossed)
• WINGS Interactive (Later Daters, Lord Winklebottom Investigates)
• Ysbryd Games (WORLD OF HORROR, VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action)
• ZA/UM (Disco Elysium)

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Community series creator Dan Harmon has revealed that conversations are "happening that people would want to be happening" about a reunion movie for the NBC sitcom, which famously developed the "six seasons and a movie" mantra. In an interview with The Wrap, Harmon, who also co-created the acclaimed Adult Swim series Rick & Morty, suggested that the long-awaited Community movie could finally be happening, as he admitted a renewed interest in the sitcom had opened up discussions. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/03/17/top-10-community-episodes"] "I can tell people for sure that the enthusiasm for Community, both for all of this time and the resurgence of it [on Netflix], there's always an aspect of that affects the marketplace," he said. "And when the marketplace gets affected, conversations happen. And when conversations happen, things happen." "I mean, when you're part of the Community family, you learn never to raise expectations, keep 'em nice and low and then be pleasantly surprised," he continued. "So I can say that there are conversations happening that people would want to be happening and that I'm very, very excited about the coming months." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-and-worst-tv-revivals&captions=true"] All six seasons of the quick-witted, meta-riffic comedy -- including the one season without Harmon and the final season that aired on the now-defunct Yahoo Screen -- became available on Netflix in April, causing many fans to shout from the virtual rooftops about an update for the follow-up movie, which has been etched on the chalkboard for years. In the meantime, there is a virtual cast reunion scheduled for Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m. PT. The charity event will see Donald Glover, Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, and creator Dan Harmon read through the Season 5 episode "Cooperative Polygraphy," which aired in January 2014. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The German Ubisoft store has given us an insight to the content coming in Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Season Pass, which looks to include a story mission based on "The Legend of Beowulf." The news was first spotted by GameNotify on Twitter, which included a link to Assassin's Creed Valhalla's store page on the German Ubisoft Store site. Sure enough, in the Overview section, you can read the following line: "Includes the story mission: The Legend of Beowulf. Discover the cruel truth behind the legend." Beowulf is an Old English epic poem which follows the eponymous Beowulf, a heroic warrior who saves the king of the Danes from a vicious monster called Grendel. The tale is set in Scandinavia, so it makes a lot of sense for Assassin's Creed Valhalla to draw on the legend to flesh out its world. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/30/assassins-creed-valhalla-official-trailer"] Given that you sail from Norway to England to raid Old Blighty's coasts during Valhalla's campaign, it's safe to assume this story will take place in the early throes of Eivor's journey, when they're still trying to survive in their Norse homeland. Yet the suggestion that you will reveal a "cruel truth" makes us think that Ubisoft may be looking to warp the mythology somewhat. Another bonus mission, the Way of the Berserker, is available to those who pre-order the game ahead of its launch later this year. Beyond the Beowulf mission, the season pass is said to "expand your experience with new content, new lands and new gear." We've got a complete pre-order guide for the many versions of Valhalla you can get, if you're interested in those extras. We learned last week that Valhalla will be "shorter and smaller" than Assassin's Creed Odyssey to address the common criticism that the Grecian game was bloated. Valhalla was one of 13 games shown off at last week's Inside Xbox, but fans weren't too happy with its promised gameplay teaser. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.  

Don't expect details on The Elder Scrolls VI until "years from now", according to Bethesda senior vice president Pete Hines. Responding to a tweet asking for information about the next-gen game, Hines was unequivocal, making clear that news on the still fairly unknown Starfield is coming well before anything on Elder Scrolls:

It’s after Starfield, which you pretty much know nothing about. So if you’re coming at me for details now and not years from now, I’m failing to properly manage your expectations.

— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) May 10, 2020

We already knew not to expect Starfield or Elder Scrolls 6 news this year so it'll likely be some time before we hear anything about either game. Bethesda won't be holding a digital replacement for E3 this year, but it does plan to deliver news on Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo in some form. After being teased at E3 2018, neither Starfield or Elder Scrolls 6 have release windows as of yet, and a recent job listing for the latter could suggest that development on Elder Scrolls 6 has only recently begun in earnest. We might not have been told too much about the follow-up to Skyrim, but here's everything we can speculate on about its release date, gameplay and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/elder-scrolls-vi-may-have-just-begun-production-ign-daily-fix"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

John Krasinski reunited some of his former co-stars from The Office to surprise a newly married couple on Episode 7 of his Some Good News web series. Taking to Twitter, Krasinski shared the latest instalment of his feel-good newscast, which spotlights positive stories from around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In one segment, Krasinski spoke to a couple from Maryland who re-enacted the famous wedding proposal from The Office, in which Jim Halpert (Krasinski) gets down on one knee for Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) in front of a petrol station, for their own engagement.

Episode 7 is here! This one is filled with all kinds of LOVE — just the Good News we need! #SGNhttps://t.co/Q9QJ73TqOA

— Some Good News (@somegoodnews) May 11, 2020

"You guys have proved that proposal works 100 percent of the time," Krasinski joked with the couple, before encouraging them to get married live on the show. He then surprised them with the news that he had been ordained as a minister for the virtual ceremony, to which he invited their parents, siblings and friends to join the Zoom video conference. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/the-office-surprising-reason-behind-steve-carells-exit-revealed-ign-now"] Next up, he brought Jenna Fischer on to stand in as the couple's maid of honour. "I didn't know what your wedding colours were, but I went with pink and white," she said, gesturing to a flower arrangement behind her. Country singer Zac Brown then appeared on the group chat to perform "The Man Who Loves You the Most" for the bride's virtual walk down the aisle. After officiating the ceremony, Krasinski was joined by Steve Carell, Ed Helms, Ellie Kemper, Mindy Kaling, Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez and Phyllis Smith who recreated their respective dances from Jim and Pam's wedding for a virtual after-party set to Chris Brown's song "Forever." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-tv-shows-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] For some even more good news, watch the moment that Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Broadway cast of Hamilton surprised a young fan with a performance of her favourite song and check out the very first episode of John Krasinski's YouTube series featuring "entertainment correspondent" Steve Carell. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.