There’s a new patch today for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and it clocks in at a whopping 15GB for console players. Along with the usual bug fixes and balance updates, the new patch seems to have added a mysterious item as well. While the latest patch is overwhelmingly about fixes and adjustments, it appears that it added a new item in Warzone that players haven’t quite figured out what to do with. After the update there’s a chance you’ll come across something called the “Red Access Card.” While the in-game icon lists it as a health item, it currently serves no immediate purpose. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-call-of-duty-review&captions=true"] The loot item doesn’t provide any new abilities or open any kind of lock just yet, but there’s speculation that this is a teaser for an upcoming event of some kind. Considering the update went live today, it might be some time before we figure out the true purpose of this new item. As a note, Call of Duty players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will need to download a data pack for the new patch. After installing the update, select a mode (multiplayer, campaign, Special Operations, etc.) and players will be taken to an install menu where they can download Data Pack 1. Afterward, they’ll need to hard close and re-open Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/09/call-of-duty-warzone-official-trailer"] Here’s a full list of updates in today’s patch via InfinityWard.

PLAYLIST UPDATE

Modern Warfare

• Blueprint Gunfight
• Reinfected Ground War
• 3v3 Cranked Gunfight
• Shoot the Ship 24/7 (includes Cranked and Grind!)

Warzone

• Solos, Trios, Quads
• Plunder Trios
• Most Wanted Contract – Instead of a random Operator being marked on your Tac Map, you are voluntarily putting a Bounty on yourself for any squad to see in Verdansk. Of course, this great risk does have some great rewards…

GENERAL FIXES:

• Added a Challenges tab to the main multiplayer screen for easier access
• Adjusting how the audio is played for the Precision Airstrike so it follows the plane more precisely
• Fixed a bug where players using KBM in Game Battles could make custom weapon blueprints that could also be used in multiplayer or Warzone.
• Currently, white text will appear when someone is speaking, regardless of team. Now, when someone is on an enemy team, their text will appear red.
• Fix for an exploit on Hackney Yard while playing Infected
• Fixed a bug that would prevent players from being able to melee an enemy while on top of an ATV
• Various out of bounds and exploit fixes
• After the last update, Talon’s character model appeared stretched with graphical corruption issues while in the squad walk. This has been fixed
• Fix for some Season 3 emblems appearing with incorrect text
• Fixed an issue with Kreuger’s eyes while completing a finishing move
• Fixed a bug where some watches were appearing in the wrong direction when gesturing
• Fixed a bug where players could lose the option to pick their favorite Faction in the Operator menu
• Fixed a bug where white lighting could be seen while moving or firing a weapon near specific locations
• Added a gamepad-only Deadzone option that allows players to adjust the inner range in which stick input will not be registered.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Party members from editing their CDL Loadouts when the CDL Quick Play Filter was active.
• Fixed an issue where the Auto Run feature would stop when players opened their in-game text chat.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from zooming in/out on the Tac Map if Jump was bound on Mouse Wheel Up/Down.

WEAPONS:

• Fix for a bug where completing the completionist challenges for the SKS are unlocking the associated camos for the Renetti
• Fix for a bug where unlocking camos for the SKS was inconsistent with other camo challenges for marksman rifles
• Fixed a bug where the “Hard Wired” skin for Alex would appear in thermals while Cold Blooded is equipped

WARZONE:

• The ability to view available XP tokens is not visible in the Warzone Menu. This has been fixed.
• After being brought back into the match, a player was in a state where they couldn't interact with the team’s loadout drop, and they had the revive prompt on them even though they were alive. This has been fixed
• Adjusted the speed and sizing of the circle
• We’ve added the cargo truck back into BR Solos with reduced turning speed, acceleration, and top speed
• Moved the scoreboard to be visible in the pause menu
• Fix for an issue where the After-Action Report was not displaying the total team earnings
• Fixed a bug where players were unable to equip Armor Plates while Dead Silence is activated
• New item – Armor Satchel – finding one of these allows you to carry up to 8 armor plates instead of 5.  These drop on death and can be looted by other players.  These do not contain any armor plates by default, only increase the player carry amount.  Guaranteed reward upon completing Scavenger contracts (replaces Gas Mask as the guaranteed item)
  • Gas mask will remain rare in loot and purchasable at the Buy Station.
• Plunder: Plunder Rating
  • When you finish a match of plunder you’re now given a rating in the form of a coin. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and more! The more cash your team collected the cooler the coin. Get above 3.5 Million to find out the highest rating!

SPECIAL OPERATIONS:

• Fix for a bug where selecting the USEF 1 skin for the Mil-Sim Operator appears as the default skin in Co-op
• The Munitions Shop can now be accessed while in the safehouse at the beginning of each Special Operation.
• Operation Crosswind: Fixed various situations where players could get stuck outside of the plane when the rest of the team regroups.
• Fix some rare instances where players in last stand could be revived, or have started a self-revive, but still bleed out anyway.
• Fix an instance where the player's revive icon color could quickly shift from blue to red after they had been successfully revived.
• Fixed players being able to exit a Juggernaut suit, and then gain the ability to revive others even if they themselves were in last stand.
• Operation Harbinger – Players can now exit the safehouse earlier and ‘capture’ the first intel item faster following the dialog from Kamarov.
• Operation Harbinger - Fixed missing audio on the large cargo truck.
• Operation Crosswind - Fixed some instances of soldiers giving armored hitmarkers, but not having visible armor.
• Fixed an issue where a syringe could be seen floating while reviving a teammate.
• Fixed an issue with helicopter audio.

PC:

• Fix for a bug where players using a Vega64 GPU could see corrupted outlines around their character models and weapons.
• Fixed a crash that occurred to players using a GeForce 900 Series graphics card when they loaded the Crosswind Special Operations Mission.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Tapeworm, the latest game from The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen, launched its Kickstarter campaign early Tuesday only to immediately reach its funding goal in just four minutes.

After hitting its $25,000 target Tapeworm continued to climb far past it, currently sitting at just over $325k raised at the time of publishing. This isn’t the first time McMillen has found success on Kickstarter either, with The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls card game raising $2.65 million in late 2018.

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While not related to McMillen’s past games in any way, Tapeworm follows in Four Souls’ footsteps as a multiplayer card game with his signature strange (and unsurprisingly gross) style. In it, players take turns playing and connecting cards to create as long of a worm as they can, which can be manipulated by special effects or even cut off entirely.

In its Kickstarter video, McMillen said he originally came up with the idea for Tapeworm nine years ago, with the focus being on making a card game where spacing and positioning of cards really mattered. He also explained that he wanted it to be “as simple as Uno, but have a good amount of depth," so that it would be accessible to anyone but still strategic.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/return-to-dark-tower-unboxing"]

Tapeworm’s breakneck funding is undoubtedly impressive – multiple stretch goals have already been met, some of which actually add special cards for Four Souls – but it’s also part of a larger trend of success tabletop gaming has found on Kickstarter in recent years. Most recently we covered the Return to Dark Tower Kickstarter in January, which went on to raise over $4 million, and the Kickstarter for Frosthaven (a sequel to the wildly popular Gloomhaven) ends Saturday while on pace to break $10 million.

You can check out Tapeworm on Kickstarter here, but it could be on a path find similar, seven-figure success before its campaign ends in late May. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Marks is IGN's Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.

Sony has announced that Cities: Skylines and Farming Simulator 19 are the PS Plus free games for May 2020. Revealed on the PlayStation Blog, both games will be available for PlayStation Plus subscribers from Tuesday, May 5. They’ll be available to claim until Monday, June 1. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/29/playstation-plus-free-games-lineup-may-2020-trailer"] Cities: Skylines is a city builder and management game from strategy legends Paradox Interactive, focused on developing small little communities into a sprawling metropolis. The PlayStation 4 Edition of the game has an overhauled UI and control system, making a genre that has typically been a PC affair into something that works just right on console. Farming Simulator 19, meanwhile, does exactly what it says in the title. Harvest crops, raise livestock, drive around in a bright green tractor (other colours are available) and generally live the life of a farmer. It’s exactly the kind of methodical, peaceful escapism many of us need in our current strange times. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-playstation-first-party-exclusive-review&captions=true"] If Cities: Skylines or Farming Simulator 19 are not for you, there’s still time to grab April’s PS Plus games, which include Uncharted 4. Or if you also have an Xbox, then Xbox Games With Gold for May 2020 include V-Rally 4, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr, and a couple more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Former president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé has launched a gaming podcast alongside journalist Harold Goldberg, with donations helping to bring mentorship and technology to disadvantaged youths in New York City. Talking Games with Reggie and Harold is a seven-episode podcast featuring Reggie and Goldberg, the latter of whom is the founder of the New York Videogame Critics Circle, a non-profit organization that mentors those less fortunate in journalism and game development. You can learn more about what the NYVGCC does over on its website.

⁦@haroldgoldberg⁩ and I are Talking Games in a new podcast. Donations will fund activities for underserved communities. One of the first guests: ⁦@geoffkeighley⁩ Join us! https://t.co/9DjakIFwqO

— Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) April 29, 2020

According to The Washington Post, the first guest on Talking Games will be Geoff Keighley, head honcho of The Game Awards. As for Fils-Aimé's intentions with the podcast, he told The Post, "Our vision is to create a fun, entertaining, informative podcast with its goal to benefit the nonprofit.” As for his connection to the NYVGCC, Fils-Aimé grew up in the New York neighbourhood of The Bronx, where he's returned following his retirement to mentor local students. As well as the podcast announcement, Fils-Aimé and Goldberg have launched a funding campaign with plans to raise $15,000. If your wallet is ready, donations are being gathered via GoFundMe and will help fund the NYVGCC's mentoring work, as well as providing gaming technology and education to homeless youths in New York City. The NYVGCC is also moving its journalism courses online free of charge so they can be accessed by educators and prospecting students. Those who wish to donate will receive "extra content" from Fils-Aimé and the forthcoming podcast guests, as well as a means to bid for special gaming memorabilia held by the NYVGCC. Reggie Fils-Aimé recently joined GameStop's Board of Directors to help save the struggling retailer. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Hellraid lives! At least as an upcoming DLC pack for Techland’s zombie shooter Dying Light. A new teaser released today announced some kind of Hellraid content is coming to Dying Light this summer. The trailer is short but shows an abandoned hallway right before a demonic arcade cabinet appears from an otherworldly portal. The screen quickly displays the Dying Light logo along with a new subtitle, “Hellraid.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/29/dying-light-hellraid-dlc-teaser"] Techland confirmed to IGN that this is a paid DLC game mode for Dying Light set in a dark fantasy Hellraid world but featuring Dying Light gameplay. The DLC is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One this summer. Hellraid was a new project for the developer, announced in 2012. A year later Techland announced that the project was “on hold.” The developer confirmed to IGN that today’s announcement is just DLC and that the company is not working on any other Hellraid projects. Developers are still working on Dying Light 2 at its Wrocław, Poland studio, as well as an unannounced IP in its Warsaw location. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=18-games-that-seemingly-vanished&captions=true"] Still, when we reached out to Techland for our games that vanished feature, the developer seemed to have a soft spot for the dark fantasy world of Hellraid, so it makes sense the developers are visiting this idea through DLC. Check out IGN’s Dying Light review and Dying Light 2 preview for more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

A new job listing for a position at Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment has revealed that the battle royale is seemingly planning to take the leap to next-gen consoles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/apex-legends-season-4-assimilation-gameplay-trailer"] EA’s recruitment website currently features a job listing for a senior rendering engineer at Respawn Entertainment. The job description states that “Respawn is looking for Senior Rendering Engineers to push next-gen platforms and the PC to their limits on Apex Legends.” That’s a pretty clear cut indicator that Apex Legends is set to receive an upgrade for next-generation consoles. The job specification asks for a “shader enthusiast” who enjoys “maintaining or improving visual fidelity”, indicating that Respawn could be looking to improve the graphical quality of Apex Legends for next-gen consoles and PC. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20093211&captions=true"] EA nor Respawn have yet to make any official comment on the possibility of Apex Legends on next-generation consoles. Backwards compatibility is supported by both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 so theoretically there should be no problem playing the existing version of Apex Legends on the new platforms, but it does appear that Respawn has bigger plans than simply keeping the game as it is. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The setting for the next Assassin's Creed game – rumoured to be set in the Viking era – will be revealed in a stream today. Ubisoft has kicked off a stream hosted by digital artist Bosslogic, who'll create a "unique art piece" that will reveal the setting. We'll be updating this post as the day goes on, noting anything we learn from the art below. You can watch the stream on Twitter, Mixer, YouTube and Facebook and Twitch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=a-history-of-assassins-creed-leaks&captions=true"] Update 1 - 6am PT: The image is now clearly in two halves, showing a frozen-looking shore on the left, and a more vibrant contryside on the right. That could signify the Vikings' raiding journeys from Scandinavia to warmer countries in the south. The first major addition to the image is a large stone castle, which would seem to lend some credence to the idea of an Assassin's Creed game set in the Middle Ages - although stone castles first emerged in Europe towards the very end of the Viking Age, around 1,000 CE. [poilib element="accentDivider"] The next Assassin's Creed game is widely rumoured to centre around Vikings, so we could potentially see a Middle Ages setting emerge over the course of the stream – the Viking Age is a time period lasting from 800 CE to 1066 CE. Rumours have suggested that the game is subtitled (or code named) Kingdom or Ragnarok. The Division 2 may have already teased that setting, given it included Assassin's Creed's Apple of Eden artifact placed suspiciously close to the word 'Valhalla'.

If that does turn out to be the case we'd be in favour of that move, as we think a Viking-based game could bring the franchise full circle.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he wants to go to Jorvik Viking Centre as research. Follow him on Twitter.

A new Fortnite datamine has unearthed a new map and what appears to be a Limited Time Mode in which players simply hang out and don’t fight each other.

Leaked "Papaya" Map!

(via @VastBlastt & @FNBRHQ) pic.twitter.com/DmKxeK0XUj — ShiinaBR - Fortnite Leaks (@ShiinaBR) April 29, 2020

Prolific Fortnite leaker Twitter account ShiinbaBR has posted several Tweets, one of which includes a look at a new map called Papaya, as well as a series of 9 communication emotes that are reportedly designed for the new map. Those emotes include the likes of nodding and shaking your head, waving, sitting, cheering, and waving a phone - all very much non-combat gestures. ShiinbaBR also posted descriptions of two new Limited Time Modes. Party Royale allows players to “hang out with friends, play games, perfect your skydive and more” and asks you to leave your “weapons and mats behind”. Operation Payload is an escort mode with push/stop mechanics, where players can switch roles and choose “tech” each round. The Papaya map image features a variety of location icons that all suggest non-violent activities, such as races, skydiving, soccer, and boating, which may mean these are the things available to do in Party Royale mode. It’s unclear if Operation Payload is a non-violent mode or not, but the description suggests it could favour tech over weapons. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/fortnite-chapter-2-season-2-top-secret-launch-trailer"] Fortnite’s update 12.50 goes live today, April 29, and so it should not be long before we see these elements materialise (provided ShiinbaBR remains as accurate as they have been). For more from Fortnite, check out its latest event which featured a Travis Scott concert attended by 12.3 million players, and when you can expect Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 3 to begin. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The PC demo for Trials of Mana has been pulled from Steam after an exploit was found that let players access the full game from within. The news was revealed in an announcement post on the Trials of Mana Steam Community page, where the developers didn't address the specifics of the exploit, citing "unforeseen circumstances" as the reason behind taking the demo down. In the comments below, many users are pointing out that hackers were able to bypass the restrictions of the demo to play the full game. There is no mention of a revised release date for the demo, but the developers made note that they "hope to have it back up again very soon." Player progression within the now-pulled demo will be carried over into the new revision, so you can get back to where you left off once Square Enix fixes the exploit. If you own a PS4 or Nintendo Switch, you could play the demo on those platforms instead for the time being. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/trials-of-mana-launch-trailer"] It's important to note that the game is already available on PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch - it launched on April 24th, last week, and this exploit was caught after the game's release. It's not clear at time of writing how players were using the demo version to play the full game, but many comments make mention of Denuvo anti-tamper, a DRM (digital rights management) solution. This isn't the first instance of a demo being taken down due to an exploit leading players to the full game - back in 2018, Sega was forced to spike the demo for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life from the US PlayStation Store after users were exploiting it to access the full game. For more on Trials of Mana, check out our review, which we called "a great remake of a 16-bit classic." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

UPDATE, April 29: Cineworld, the parent company of theater chain Regal Entertainment, has joined AMC Theaters in banning Universal movies once their cinemas reopen. "Today we make it clear again that we will not be showing movies that fail to respect the windows as it does not make any economic sense for us,” Cineworld said in a statement (via Variety). Our original report from April 28 follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] AMC Theaters says it will no longer show Universal Pictures releases when their cinemas finally reopen due to the studio's decision to release some of their movies early to VOD rather than wait to show them in theaters. The major theater chain blasted Universal following a report touting how well Trolls World Tour had done on VOD and the studio saying it sees this as a roadmap for other possible releases. With movie theaters shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic -- including AMC, which closed down in mid-March -- Universal opted to release their Trolls sequel digitally this month rather than wait to release it in cinemas later in the year or next year. It was a big gamble for Universal, as theater owners fumed over the studio's decision to ditch cinemas, but it reportedly paid off big time for the studio. What makes digital releases even more appealing to studios is that they retain 80 percent of the profits from a VOD release, which is significantly higher than the 50 percent of profits they take home from box office receipts with theatrical releases. As it turned out, Universal made more revenue from Trolls World Tour after three weeks in digital release than they did from five months of the original Trolls in theaters. While Universal isn't expected to employ this digital model for huge franchise releases such as a Fast & Furious title because of how much money those movies do typically rake in theatrically, the studio is already embracing it for smaller movies, such as Judd Apatow's comedy The King of Staten Island, which is now going straight to VOD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] In a letter sent Tuesday from AMC Theatres chair-CEO Adam Aron to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley, AMC said "Universal’s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice. Therefore, effectively immediately AMC will no longer play any Universal movies in any of our theaters in the United States, Europe or the Middle East." The theater chain may be playing a game of chicken with Universal seeing as how the coronavirus is being mulled by many observers as a possible death knell for the theatrical experience. AMC is flirting with bankruptcy, while a new Reuters poll indicates that only 40 percent of Americans are open to attending movies, concerts, amusement parks, or sporting events until a vaccine can be found. Universal, like Disney, is heavily dependent on both movies and amusement parks for business so they are pivoting to streaming options for revenue during this time of crisis. AMC's letter, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, went on to state:

"This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se, goes into effect today and as our theaters reopen, and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat. Incidentally, this policy is not aimed solely at Universal out of pique or to be punitive in any way, it also extends to any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices absent good faith negotiations between us, so that they as distributor and we as exhibitor both benefit and neither are hurt from such changes. Currently, with the press comment today, Universal is the only studio contemplating a wholesale change to the status quo. Hence, this immediate communication in response."

The reference to "any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices" seems a not so thinly veiled dig at Warner Bros. for pivoting to release Scoob! to premium VOD instead of theatrically. AMC did go on to say in the letter that they are "willing to sit down with Universal to discuss different windows strategies and different economic models between your company and ours," but ultimately they found "Universal’s unilateral pronouncements on this issue (to be) unpalatable to us." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/f9-fast-furious-9-official-trailer-1"] Universal issued the following statement in response to AMC's letter:

“Our goal in releasing Trolls: World Tour on PVOD was to deliver entertainment to people who are sheltering at home, while movie theatres and other forms of outside entertainment are unavailable. Based on the enthusiastic response to the film, we believe we made the right move.  In fact, given the choice of not releasing Trolls: World Tour, which would not only have prevented consumers from experiencing the movie but also negatively impacted our partners and employees, the decision was clear.

Our desire has always been to efficiently deliver entertainment to as wide an audience as possible.  We absolutely believe in the theatrical experience and have made no statement to the contrary.  As we stated earlier, going forward, we expect to release future films directly to theatres, as well as on PVOD when that distribution outlet makes sense.  We look forward to having additional private conversations with our exhibition partners but are disappointed by this seemingly coordinated attempt from AMC and NATO to confuse our position and our actions.”

Universal recently rescheduled Fast & Furious 9, Jurassic World: Dominion, and Minions: The Rise of Gru -- all major franchises for the studio -- for theatrical releases in 2021. The studio's next 2020 titles include Candyman (Sept. 25), Bios (Oct. 2), and Halloween Kills (Oct. 16).