Reports: Call of Duty 2020 Is Called Black Ops Cold War
New reports suggest this year's Call of Duty game will be titled Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and will return to the Black Ops sub-series' historical setting.
The title was posted by Call of Duty leaker Okami on Twitter, and backed up by sources of Eurogamer. Eurogamer added that it will return to the series' roots, but didn't specify any specific events or locations – the real-life Cold War is regarded as having lasted from 1947-1991.
Whether this is a reboot of the sub-series, or a prequel to the Black Ops story - which has since headed into the future - is still unknown.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/20/call-of-duty-black-ops-4-review"]
Activision had already formally announced the expected 2020 instalment of Call of Duty, but didn't confirm which of its studios would act as the lead developer. Rumours at the time suggested Treyarch would be the lead, which feels ever-more likely, given it created the Black Ops sub-series. Sledgehammer and Raven are rumoured to be support studios on the project. Those same rumours claimed this was a Black Ops game set in the Cold War, and that it would restore a single-player campaign after Black Ops 4 dropped the feature.
The reports coincide with the recent opening of Call of Duty: Warzone's bunkers, which have also seen dataminers discovering what seems to be a model for a Cold War-era spyplane, the U-2. We'd already heard that Warzone will evolve to accommodate multiple games in the series, with Infinity Ward's Taylor Kurosaki saying the battle royale mode "will be the through-line that connects all of the different various sub-franchises of Call of Duty."
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he was only this morning listening to excellent new Cold War-themed podcast Wind of Change, and is now hoping this game will feature Scorpions on the soundtrack. Follow him on Twitter.
Rainbow Six Siege Could Be Getting a Splinter Cell Operator
The next operator coming to Rainbow Six Siege could potentially be related to Ubisoft's Splinter Cell franchise.
Windows Central first spotted a post from Rainbow Six Siege dataminer Zer0Bytes_ on Reddit, who appears to have found a set of strings in the game's code that reveal the codenames for future Year 5 operators.
The Year 5 Season 3 Operator is referred to as "Scout - ECH (Echelon/Third Echelon)" which suggests that the next in-game agent could be a part of the top-secret NSA organization that Splinter Cell Sam Fisher was a part of.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/18/rainbow-six-siege-steel-wave-operators-gameplay-gadgets-and-starter-tips-video"]
Some have pointed out that this doesn't line up with the Year 5 roadmap for Rainbow Six Siege, which lists the Season 3 operator as "Classified" and offers a logo for Nighthaven, a suspect in-game organization. However, Rainbow Six Siege Product Director Roy Del Valle told Windows Central in a previously unpublished interview that the logo "shouldn't be there."
"As of late, the last two weeks or something, we tweaked some things on the narrative that you'll discover, and you'll be very happy with, that does not necessarily strictly link to Nighthaven," Del Valle told Windows Central in February.
This suggests that the development team's plans for the Season 3 operator may have changed since the roadmap was circulated, which makes the Splinter Cell crossover more viable. To add fuel to the fire, Siege game designer Jean-Baptiste Halle gave an interview to Dualshockers, posted just yesterday, that appears to support the idea of operators from other Ubisoft games.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/09/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-wildlands-special-operation-1-splinter-cell"]
Dualshockers asked Halle which character from other Ubisoft franchises they think would work in Siege, to which Halle responded: "There is a lot of characters in Ubisoft's portfolio that could make very interesting additions in our roster", and continued, "Just keep an eye on the next Operator additions this year and you might get some interesting new people coming into the roster." Halle added, "That's all I can say so far."
Halle's allusion to near-future Operator additions certainly suggests that one of the upcoming characters may well be related to a Ubisoft franchise, and all signs point to Splinter Cell. Of course, you still have to take this report with a big pinch of salt as nothing is confirmed just yet, but it's worthwhile knowledge for Splinter Cell fans keen to hear more about the franchise's future.
Ubisoft hasn't released a Splinter Cell game since 2013's Blacklist, but has been very much keeping the series in the public eye, with references popping up in Assassin's Creed, and Sam Fisher's appearance in Ghost Recon Wildlands. The creative director of the last two Splinter Cell games has recently returned to Ubisoft.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Bane Movie Masks Selling Out During Coronavirus Pandemic
Bane masks are selling out amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
With many Americans still required by local governments to wear face masks or coverings while out in public, one of the most popular masks being sold online is of Tom Hardy's incarnation of the DC supervillain in The Dark Knight Rises.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, both cloth and plastic Bane masks -- none of which are medically approved for pandemic protection, mind you -- have been selling out online.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/19/ranking-the-batman-movie-villains"]
The trade claims Costume.com, BuyCostumes.com and HalloweenCostumes.com are all sold out of plastic Bane masks, while Etsy is selling over 150 variations of cloth Bane masks.
"Looking at sales figures, the adult mask had quite a sales spike in April and early May, which is unusual for this time of year," Costume.com spokesperson David DeJac told THR.
DeJac added there are still full Bane costumes available which indicates that consumers were just interested in having the mask.
For more of our COVID-19 coverage, learn about how you can help and stay safe during the pandemic, and find out about all the movies and shows delayed and affected by the production shutdown.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movies&captions=true"]
DeJac added there are still full Bane costumes available which indicates that consumers were just interested in having the mask.
For more of our COVID-19 coverage, learn about how you can help and stay safe during the pandemic, and find out about all the movies and shows delayed and affected by the production shutdown.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movies&captions=true"]What The Golf Switch Review – Under Par (In A Good Way)
What the Golf, 2019's hilarious anti-golf golf game, is at its best on Switch. Everything that was good in the Apple Arcade and PC versions, which we reviewed last year, remains good here, but the additions and improvements that the Switch version brings make it the definitive What the Golf experience.
The game arrives on Nintendo's hybrid console with a new two-player "Party Mode" that wasn't included in the PC or Apple Arcade releases. This mode, which sees you and another player each picking up a Joy-Con and facing off in a series of competitive levels, is an absolute hoot. Both players are made to compete across 11 random levels, each based on levels from the campaign, to see who can get to the hole first. There's a great diversity across Party Mode's levels, with some levels feeling more like puzzles, some purely based on skill, and others that could only work in multiplayer, like when you're both controlling separate items that are tethered to each other or trying to goad the other into tipping over a tower of boxes that the pin is sitting atop. There are lots of levels here, and I still saw new ones pop up after playing for several hours.
In keeping with What the Golf's style, very few of Party Mode's levels really feel like golf, which is part of the fun. After you've played through 11 stages, you and your opponent compete in one final competitive arena-based game, and the number of lives each of you has depends on how well you did in previous rounds. There are only three types of final competition, but they're all fun, particularly the combat-based game where you fling around in an office chair, trying to pick up and fire explosive beach balls at your opponent. Your victory depends on how you perform in this final game, and how many lives you have--if you won seven of the previous rounds, you can take up to six hits in the final competition, whereas your opponent can only survive three. A full round of games in Party Mode rarely takes more than 10 minutes, and you only ever need the analog stick and the A button. These are less mini-games, more micro-games, often lasting just a few wild, hilarious seconds.
Continue Reading at GameSpotWhat The Golf Switch Review – Under Par (In A Good Way)
What the Golf, 2019's hilarious anti-golf golf game, is at its best on Switch. Everything that was good in the Apple Arcade and PC versions, which we reviewed last year, remains good here, but the additions and improvements that the Switch version brings make it the definitive What the Golf experience.
The game arrives on Nintendo's hybrid console with a new two-player "Party Mode" that wasn't included in the PC or Apple Arcade releases. This mode, which sees you and another player each picking up a Joy-Con and facing off in a series of competitive levels, is an absolute hoot. Both players are made to compete across 11 random levels, each based on levels from the campaign, to see who can get to the hole first. There's a great diversity across Party Mode's levels, with some levels feeling more like puzzles, some purely based on skill, and others that could only work in multiplayer, like when you're both controlling separate items that are tethered to each other or trying to goad the other into tipping over a tower of boxes that the pin is sitting atop. There are lots of levels here, and I still saw new ones pop up after playing for several hours.
In keeping with What the Golf's style, very few of Party Mode's levels really feel like golf, which is part of the fun. After you've played through 11 stages, you and your opponent compete in one final competitive arena-based game, and the number of lives each of you has depends on how well you did in previous rounds. There are only three types of final competition, but they're all fun, particularly the combat-based game where you fling around in an office chair, trying to pick up and fire explosive beach balls at your opponent. Your victory depends on how you perform in this final game, and how many lives you have--if you won seven of the previous rounds, you can take up to six hits in the final competition, whereas your opponent can only survive three. A full round of games in Party Mode rarely takes more than 10 minutes, and you only ever need the analog stick and the A button. These are less mini-games, more micro-games, often lasting just a few wild, hilarious seconds.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDune: It Took a Year to Perfect the Sandworm Design for the New Movie
Director Denis Villeneuve has revealed the level of attention to detail and time spent on perfecting the look of the iconic sandworms of planet Arrakis in his upcoming screen retelling of Dune.
Villeneuve, who previously brought alien creatures to life in Arrival before tackling Blade Runner 2049, told Empire Magazine (via /Film) that he and his production team spent a year understanding how such a giant creature would operate in a desert environment in order to obtain the right look.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dune-movie-every-actor-in-the-sci-fi-reboot&captions=true"]
“We talked about every little detail that would make such a beast possible, from the texture of the skin, to the way the mouth opens, to the system to eat its food in the sand," Villeneuve said.
He added, "It was a year of work to design and to find the perfect shape that looked prehistoric enough.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/dune-photos-reveal-stillsuits-and-weapons-ign-now"]
The sandworms literally loom large in the saga of Dune. They inhabit the deserts of the planet Arrakis, where they are integral to the production of the spice that makes Arrakis such a singularly important world.
And the spice, as any Dune fan knows, is the source of great wealth and thus power, leading to the dangerous rivalries between the story's great houses.
For more on Dune, check out our breakdown of the new stillsuits and weapons, all the official photos, get the lowdown on the prequel comic, and learn why Dune '84 director David Lynch has "zero interest" in the remake.
InXile Confirms Next-Gen RPG Will Use Unreal Engine 5
InXile Entertainment, a California-based video game developer founded by Brian Fargo, confirmed that its next project after the release of Wasteland 3 will be a new triple-A RPG developed using Unreal Engine 5.
Considering inXile is now a Microsoft first-party studio, it means the Xbox Series X will indeed have first-party games developed using Epic’s game engine.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/ps5-unreal-engine-5-tech-demo"]
In response to a question from a fan on Twitter, inXile Entertainment confirmed that its next video game project will “indeed be using Unreal Engine 5 for our next project.” Studio boss Brian Fargo also confirmed on Twitter that its “next gen RPG” will use Unreal Engine 5.
Unreal Engine 5 is Epic Games’ next-gen game engine. Two major features of the engine are two technologies called Lumen and Nanite. Lumen is a universal lighting system that makes it easier for developers to create realistic lighting effects, while Nanite lets developers import movie-quality digital assets directly into their games.
In an interview with IGN Tim Sweeney said that the technology running the Lumen in the Land of Nanite tech demo was possible thanks to the SSD technology in the PS5. But Sweeney also said the same two technologies were able to run on the Xbox Series X.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=unreal-engine-5-playstation-5-tech-demo&captions=true"]
Xbox boss Phil Spencer also tweeted how “many of our [Xbox Game Studios] are using Unreal,” and mentioned Ninja Theory is using the engine for Hellblade 2.
InXile is currently developing Wasteland 3, a sequel to the isometric post-apocalyptic RPG, Wasteland 2.
In 2018 Microsoft Studios announced that it acquired InXile along with Obsidian Entertainment to join its new Xbox Game Studios stable. Other Xbox Game Studios developers include Rare, 343 Industries, Ninja Theory, and more.
Both Xbox and PlayStation are prepping to reveal more next-gen games, with Sony’s CEO confirming PS5 game reveals will happen soon. Meanwhile, Xbox is planning another 20/20 livestream focused on first-party titles, including Halo Infinite.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Oscars 2021 May Get Postponed
The 93rd annual Academy Awards show isn't scheduled to air until February 28, 2021, but it appears that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming ceremony could be delayed.
Per Variety, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering a postponement of the 2021 telecast on ABC. "It's likely they'll be postponed," a source close to the situation informed Variety. The outlet goes on to report that the details surrounding the potential delay have not been formally discussed and "another source says the date is currently unchanged."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-history-of-comic-book-movies-at-the-oscars&captions=true"]
Back in April, the Oscars changed its rules in a big way because of Coronavirus, allowing movies that debuted on digital or streaming platforms to qualify for Best Picture. However, this new exception is only being made for the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards. In normal circumstances, the Academy requires a movie to be shown in a movie theater in L.A. County "for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily."
In regards to whether or not the Oscars will actually be delayed, Academy president David Rubin told Variety that "It’s impossible to know what the landscape will be. We know we want to celebrate film but we do not know exactly what form it will take."
In other Oscar news, find out why Joker was never going to win Best Picture, and check out the complete 2020 winner's list right here.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/11/what-was-eminem-doing-at-the-oscars-ign-now"]
[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.
Batwoman: Ruby Rose Leaving CW Series, Role Will Be Recast
Ruby Rose is exiting the title role in The CW's Batwoman. The network will recast the role of Kate Kane with a new actress for the second season, which isn't slated to debut till January 2021.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in a statement obtained by Deadline.
“This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.”
Rose continued, "I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=batwoman-season-1-photos&captions=true"]
Batwoman, which just recently aired its first season finale, was already renewed for a second season at the time Rose announced her exit.
While no official reason was given for Rose's exit, Deadline reports that it is not related to the very serious injury Rose endured filming season one.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-jokers-arrowverse-fate-revealed-ign-now"]
The creative powers-that-be reiterated that they would recast the role of Batwoman with another LGBTQ actor:
“The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”
For more on Batwoman, check out our review of the Season One finale, how it sets up the next CW crossover, and get the skinny on that (kinda sorta) Bruce Wayne reveal.
How Ghost of Tsushima’s Film Mode Impacted Development
Ghost of Tsushima’s State of Play showcase culminated with a look at how the Sucker Punch-developed PS4 exclusive is paying homage to the samurai films that inspired it, with a black-and-white film grain mode that can be turned on from the start. But of course, with a game that is clearly built with as colorful and vibrant a world as Tsushima’s evidently has been, did the developers run into any issues ensuring the cinematic mode was still fun to play?
Speaking to IGN after the State of Play, Ghost of Tsushima Creative Director and Art Director Jason Connell explained how Sucker Punch’s rigorous playtesting practices helped them ensure playing through Tsushima's adventure would be just as fun in its standard or filmic looks, given much of Tsushima's naturalistic approach to guiding players involves those very players noticing unique parts of the world.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/ghost-of-tsushima-gameplay-customization-and-upgrades"]
“There are definitely some things that are more challenging when you're in that mode. Once we created that mode, and you can play the whole game through it, we quickly realized there were some areas that we need to reevaluate,” Connell said. “Like, if we were using the same icon on the map but just using a different color, then that doesn't work that well. So you have to change the shape of the second icon because the color alone won't work.”
Connell explained how this work to make the game fully understandable in that mode took some of its cues from how colorblind accessibility modes in games work.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ghost-of-tsushima-ps4-4k-screenshots&captions=true"]
“And frankly, we take a lot of cues from learning from a colorblind accessibility mode. It effectively would be that for us. We just put the mode on and play the game a ton and find out where it breaks and rework on the design. And that's how we work in general about almost everything,” he said.
That mode will be something players can experience the entire game in, while the State of Play also confirmed players can turn on a Japanese language voice track from the start if they so choose. And, befitting of Sony’s first-party efforts this generation, Sucker Punch will include a photo mode that allows players to change particle effects and even choose portions of the soundtrack to back players’ scenes.
Connell also spoke to IGN about why Ghost of Tsushima isn’t using Infamous’ karma meter, as well as what Ghost of Tsushima biggest Sucker Punch’s biggest game ever means for the scope of what players can expect.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/18-minutes-of-ghosts-of-tsushima-gameplay-full-4k-60fps-presentation"]
For more on Ghost of Tsushima, which is set to be released on PS4 July 17, be sure to read everything we learned from the Ghost of Tsushima State of Play, and find out why the Ghost of Tsushima showcase wowed us on the latest episode of our weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Editor's note: Former IGN employee Andrew Goldfarb is currently working for Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch.
Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Find him on Twitter @jmdornbush.