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Daisy Ridley, star of the final trilogy in the Skywalker Saga, has opened up about the Star Wars franchise's rocky reception from fandom and social media to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. "It’s changed film by film honestly, like 98% it’s so amazing, this last film it was really tricky," Ridley told the DragCast podcast (via EW). While The Rise of Skywalker ultimately grossed over $1 billion worldwide, the film was met with a negative critical response (52% on Rotten Tomatoes) and deeply mixed reactions from fans after opening last December. Ridley said "January [2020] was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we’d sort of been shown the first time around, I was like, 'Where’s the love gone?'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-star-wars-rotten-tomatoes-and-metacritic-review-score&captions=true"] "I think it’s that tricky thing of when you’re part of something that is so filled with love and then people [don’t like it]," Ridley said. The actress, who portrayed Rey in Episodes 7-9, said that while viewers are entitled to their opinions, she personally wouldn't take to social media to vent about movies she disliked given that she works in the industry. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-every-ship-bonus-feature] "I guess now conversations are just more public, so there’s stuff I wouldn’t have seen, but honestly trying to scroll through my newsfeed in January and trying to not see Star Wars stuff, I’d see headlines and be like 'Oh my god this is so upsetting,'" Ridley said. "So it’s been tricky, but then it’s having that thing of I feel really proud of it, and I’m so thrilled to be part of it." For more on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, discover how The Skywalker Legacy redeems the final film, watch this General Hux blooper, learn what Anthony Daniels told us about C-3PO's once-larger role in Ep. 9, and find out what storylines and concepts didn't make it into the final film.

The Steam Games Festival is returning this summer offering gamers a digital-event where they can play limited-time demos for upcoming releases. The event will run from June 9th to 14th directly through the Steam launcher. Geoff Keigley announced the very first Steam Games Festival in 2019 as part of The Game Awards. For 48-hours, players could try limited-time demos of games including System Shock and SkateBird. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/ign-announces-summer-of-gaming-showcase-for-june"] Similar to last year’s event, the upcoming Steam Game Festival will spotlight games set to be released within the next year, so any game available to demo won’t be so far off from launch. The demos will likely be limited-time only, meaning once the festival is over the demos will disappear. The Steam page for the Game Festival is currently live, and players can set reminders for when the event launches. For developers, there’s a separate link for them to get their upcoming games featured in the festival. The deadline to submit your game ends on April 24th. The Steam Game Festival is yet another digital-event taking place during what was traditionally the week reserved for E3. IGN will be hosting its own Summer of Gaming event throughout the month highlighting new announcements, along with IGN’s full pre-show and post-show coverage of any games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The Witcher and Superman actor Henry Cavill is passing his time in self-isolation by proving his geek bonafides on social media, namely by painting Warhammer figurines. In an Easter message to his followers, Cavill posted the image below to his Instagram account of him painting a helmet for a Warhammer figurine: "Considering we are, both, going through the Easter period, and going through The Lockdown, I figured it a good time to put a silver lining onto the cloud that is some of the darker moments during this time," Cavill posted. "So I've decided to polish some old skills and try my hand at some new ones! It is a time of rebirth after all." Cavill went on to profess his love for Games Workshop, the British miniature wargames company behind the Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 fantasy game titles: "So, as you can see here, the obvious might look a little bit like a tiny helmet...which it is. One of my almost life long hobbies, that I've been following but not actively doing, is this. A company called Games Workshop...or plastic crack as 'we' call it. Genuinely can't get enough of the lore they have built over the decades. They have been some of my most enthused reads! If you were in denial about me being a geek before, you can't hide from it now." [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/the-witcher-season-2-production-begins-more-characters-announced-ign-news] You can also see a computer monitor behind Cavill's with a document being written so it appears Cavill is working on a story of his own while in self-isolation or, as he puts it, "there may just be some completely new skills I'm working on.....or there may not be, so all of your eye squinting and attempts at digital unfocusing will be in vain....orrrr maybe they won't." Henry Cavill will return as Geralt of Rivia in Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher, which will introduce several new characters familiar to fans of the books. Production on the next season, however, is currently on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"]

Update: Official PlayStation Magazine UK has released a statement on its social media account regarding its recent story on Ghost of Tsushima. OPM confirmed that there are inaccuracies in both its March 2020 cover story for Ghost of Tsushima, as well as the recent May 2020 article which provided the basis of the original story below. While neither OPM nor Sony specified what details are inaccurate, they are likely details regarding the Waypoint system and ally system detailed in the original report. Original story follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ghost of Tsushima will eschew traditional video game waypoints in favor of having players navigate the world using landmarks and other physical features, according to a new preview for Sucker Punch’s upcoming samurai-ninja action game. With only a few months until Ghost of Tsushima’s launch (still slated for PS4 on June 26), Official PlayStation Magazine UK has a new preview for the action-adventure title, including new details about how travel and NPCs work in the game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2020-platform-exclusives&captions=true"] When it comes to making your way through the detailed sandbox of Tsushima, players will have to rely on physical landmarks and understanding of the world to explore. There are no waypoints in the game highlighting where the next mission is, or where a side quest might be located. Compare this with Sucker Punch’s Infamous series which used different waypoints to highlight various activities players can engage with. So if you’re looking for a destination, you’ll hopefully have a good sense of in-game direction. Other highlights from the preview include how the eponymous Ghost, real name Jin Sakai, was trained as a samurai but adopts ninja-like skills to take on the Mongol invaders. That means Sakai can use either his samurai abilities or ninja abilities to take on threats. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/05/ghost-of-tsushima-story-trailer"] The players’ combat choice can even impact interactions with other characters in Ghost of Tsushima. Shimura, Sakai’s uncle and also a samurai, doesn’t approve of the ninja-skills which could negatively impact your relationship with the character if you rely on it too much. Another character, Makoto, is an expert archer and could be a powerful ally to Sakai. However, if she disagrees with too many of your actions she could end up turning on you. This suggests there are limited branching paths where the story changes depending on your actions. One cool detail for cinephiles is how the soundtrack features music by Japanese film composer Shigeru Umebayashi, who worked on movies like House of Flying Daggers and The Grandmaster. Check back with IGN for more news about Ghost of Tsushima, or check out our PS5 page for all the latest details on Sony’s next-gen console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Warner Bros. has released the first official look at their forthcoming sci-fi epic Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel directed by Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve. The first photo, seen below, features Little Women and The King's Timothée Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides, the heir of House Atreides. The photo, which debuted at Vanity Fair, shows Paul on the shores of his oceanic homeworld Caladan as ships arrive to transport his aristocratic family to their new post, the desert planet of Arrakis. Once there, House Atreides will lock horn with their sinister rivals, House Harkonnen. [caption id="attachment_233614" align="alignnone" width="720"] Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune. (Photo credit: WB/Vanity Fair)[/caption] Chalamet was drawn to the role of Paul Atreides precisely because he's not the usual genre hero yearning for adventure. “The immediately appealing thing about Paul was the fact that in a story of such detail and scale and world-building, the protagonist is on an anti-hero’s-journey of sorts,” said Chalamet. Paul will find the path he thought his life would take radically altered once on Arrakis, where he eventually joins forces with the native Fremen. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dune-movie-every-actor-in-the-sci-fi-reboot&captions=true"] As of now, Warners still intends to release Dune in theaters this December despite so many other films being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Director Villeneuve paid tribute to his international crew, who he said "are like family to me." He added, "I look forward to a time when we can all get together again as Dune was made to be seen on the big screen.” [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/29/dune-has-a-really-interesting-new-logo-ign-news] For more on Dune, check out our explainer breaking down the saga, the first look at the film's logo, and our rundown of the film's amazing cast.

The ESRB has announced a new ratings label for games with loot boxes and other randomized in-game purchases. The ESRB created an "In-Game Purchases" rating label for games back in 2018 as a response to the loot box discourse that reached different state governments in the United States and elsewhere in the world like Belgium, and now the company has created a new label for random items. The label will still feature "In-Game Purchases" but now the label will say, "In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-while-youre-waiting-for-cyberpunk-2077&captions=true"] You can check out what it looks like below. "This new Interactive Element, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), will be assigned to any game that contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency (or with virtual coins or other forms of in-game currency that can be purchases with real world currency) for which the player doesn't know prior to purchase the specific digital goods or premiums they will be receiving (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, mystery awards)," the ESRB said in their announcement. This new signage will be attached to any game that includes loot boxes, gacha games, item or card packs, prize wheels, treasure chests, and more, according to the ESRB. If a game has in-game purchases but no random items to be purchased, the game will receive only the "In-Game Purchases" rating. This new rating comes by way of requests to the ESRB, the organization said. "Since adding the In-Game Purchases notice to ratings assigned to physical games, many game consumers and enthusiasts (not necessarily parents) have reached out to us asking the ESRB to include additional information to identify games that include randomized purchases," the ESRB said. "The In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) Interactive Element was developed in response to those requests." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/10/12/the-esrb-and-the-loot-box-gambling-controversy"] The ESRB explained why it's not specifically using the words "Loot Boxes," which are words the gaming community as a whole typically use when referring to randomized in-game purchases. According to the ESRB, the organization wanted to ensure that the label covers all transactions with randomized elements — not just loot boxes. It also said that research shows that less than a third of parents have both heard the term "loot box" and understand what that term means. "'Loot box' is a widely understood phrase in and around the video game industry and among dedicated gamers, but most people less familiar with games do not understand it," the ESRB said. "While the new label is primarily in response to feedback from game enthusiasts, it is still essential that all consumers, especially parents, have a clear understanding of the rating information we provide." To catch up on the loot box discussion, read about EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, which is the game that stirred the discussion around the industry back in 2017. EA defended those loot boxes and called them "surprise mechanics" at the time. This larger discussion of loot boxes is still ongoing and just last year, had publishers like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony working on new policies regarding loot box probability. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Netflix released the eighth episode of their blockbuster docu-series Tiger King, an aftershow titled The Tiger King and I, on Sunday, which included new some revelations from the motley crew of Joe Exotic's big cat park featured on the show. Due to the current self-isolating measures, host Joel McHale conducted remote interviews with Tiger King cast members John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe. Each interviewee shared their thoughts on the success of the series and their newfound celebrity, with many stunned by the notoriety considering they just consider themselves regular working people who just so happened to be in a documentary. (Saff, for example,  recounted being stopped by fans while on a late night run to Walmart, while Reinke said he's had fans violate self-isolation rules to shake his hand while he's on walks.) Most of the revelations were about the series' main subject, the now-incarcerated Joe Exotic (aka Joseph Maldonado-Passage), with the cast members reiterating their animosity toward him. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/31/netflixs-tiger-king-murder-mayhem-and-madness-season-1-review] Here are the six biggest takeaways from The Tiger King and I (and SPOILERS ahead for the Netflix series):

Joe Exotic Killed a Horse and Fed it to Tigers

TV producer Rick Kirkham, who now lives in Norway, provided the aftershow's most dramatic revelation. After accepting an elderly horse from its teary-eyed owner and assuring them the horse would live out its final days in good care, Joe waited until the owner left before shooting the horse dead in front of Kirkham. “I don’t take care of nobody’s animals. Now they’re tiger meat," Exotic told Kirkham before having the carcass chopped up and fed to his tigers.

Joe Exotic Is Actually Scared of Tigers

For a man dubbed "The Tiger King," it turns out Joe Exotic is deathly afraid of big cats. Kirkham says that when Joe infamously posed for photos with tigers, the cats were harmless because one was blind and the other tranquilized. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-true-crime-shows-and-movies-to-watch-online&captions=true"]

Tiger Attack on Saff Used in Safety Video

Saff recalled that while Joe didn't provide any financial assistance for the incident that cost Saff most of his left arm, footage of the mauling was used by Joe in a safety video shown to zoo employees.

Travis Maldonado's Death

The most shocking and tragic moment on the show was when Joe's husband Travis Maldonado accidentally shot and killed himself in front of Joe's campaign manager, Joshua Dial, whose reaction was caught on a surveillance camera. Dial recalled the heart-wrenching seconds after Travis shot himself in the head and the fear and disbelief that he saw on Travis' face before he died. While Dial did not seek professional counseling -- he hopes to soon -- after witnessing the tragedy, neither did Joe. According to Dial, Joe instead sought out a shaman for help, but Dial claims Joe's behavior only deteriorated after that. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/tiger-king-whos-the-worst"]

"Jeff Lowe Nanny"

Jeff and Lauren Lowe, who have an open marriage, were asked about their attractive nanny, which is a top search result when people google Jeff Lowe. (They said things are going well with Masha.) But Jeff spent most of his time in the interview with McHale hoping to set the record straight about a few things presented on the show. Jeff bristled at being depicted as the show's villain, claiming that those, like Joe, he helps out eventually turn on him. Jeff, who revealed he owns roughly 60-70 Affliction t-shirts, said he knows the real reason why his former pal and business partner James Garretson became an FBI informant -- and that it wasn't because he illegally owned a lemur. Lowe, however, wouldn't disclose what that other reason was. Neither of the Lowes also knew why their pal and would-be hitman, Allen Glover, was interviewed in a bathtub at one point.

Should Joe Exotic Be in Prison?

"Good riddance," said big cat handler Erik Cowie when asked about Exotic's 22-year prison sentence. Cowie's disdain for Joe Exotic was echoed by nearly every interviewee, all of whom recounted Joe's ego, volatility, and overall nastiness. Only Saff showed any measure of sympathy, saying Joe did some good things for the less fortunate and that he hopes he doesn't die in prison. [poilib element="accentDivider"] What did you think of The Tiger King and I? Did it leave you with any lingering questions about the show or its characters? Let us know in the comments. For more on Tiger King, check out our review of the series, the new SNL skit about Carole Baskin, and get the details on the scripted show Rob Lowe and Ryan Murphy are making about Joe Exotic as well as a new series set to explore the murder rumors surrounding Carole Baskin.