Gamescom will take place this year, according to the event's organizers, but whether or not that event will be exclusively digital or not is still under review. Gamescom is one of the largest video game conferences in the world and unlike other events in the space, namely E3, it hasn't yet announced a cancellation or postponement of its 2020 show as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The companies behind the show, Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association, otherwise known as Game, jointly posted a statement Tuesday to let consumers and developers alike know that Gamescom will take place in some form this year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-to-play-while-stuck-at-home&captions=true"] "Millions of fans worldwide are excited about Gamescom 2020," Game Managing Director Felix Falk said in a statement. "That is why we are determined to celebrate the latest news, announcements and world premieres together with the community again this year at the end of August. In view of the corona crisis, we are now expanding all digital formats at full speed so that gamescom 2020 can at least take place digitally in any case." Falk said fans can expect Opening Night Live and the Gamescom Now Portal to return as the event determines how to expand its digital strategy. Gamescom will still take place from August 25 to August 29 with the Devcom Developer Conference still set for August 22 through August 24. A mid-May evaluation will take place to determine how Gamescom can move forward with its usual Cologne-based presence, if at all. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"] "If an on-site event is possible, there will also be more information at that state with regard to which changes need to be made in order to fully ensure the health of all visitors," the statement reads. "This has been arranged with the largest exhibitors, therefore all gamescom plans are continuing at full speed." Organizers will ensure that visitors and exhibitors receive refunds for paid tickets and other payments should the event go full-digital. Theme parks, movie productions, and some of the largest game conferences in the world have been cancelled or shut down for the time being as a result of the virus. Whether or not Gamescom's physical conference exhibition will join the list of cancelled or postponed events remains to be seen. Check out some of the ways you can help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Epic Games is offering a $1 million reward to the first person who can prove that a commercial smear campaign targeted at Houseparty, a social network Epic owns, has been put together. Houseparty is a "face-to-face" social network that allows users to group video chat and play games together. Epic Games purchased Houseparty last year. Originally reported by the BBC, Houseparty believes it's under attack by a "paid commercial smear campaign" meant to harm the company. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-to-play-while-stuck-at-home&captions=true"] Wanting to discover if that's really the case, the company has offered a $1 million bounty to the first person to provide evidence that such a campaign is taking place.

We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com.

— Houseparty (@houseparty) March 31, 2020

This bounty for evidence comes after a a slew of online rumors that allege the Houseparty app exposes vulnerabilities to personal information found on other services like Netflix and Spotify. BBC reported that several Twitter users posted screenshots claiming to show that after downloading the Houseparty app, they were locked out of things like Netflix, Spotify, and personal bank accounts. The Houseparty app does not request access to personal information on your phone like you'd find after downloading something like Facebook, which requests access to your phone's microphone and camera. Epic Games has since released a statement on the matter declaring that no evidence has been found. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"] "We've found no evidence to suggest a link between Houseparty and the compromises of other unrelated accounts," an Epic Games spokesperson told BBC. "As a general rule, we suggest all users choose strong passwords when creating online accounts on any platforms." Houseparty's popularity has risen with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from an average of 130,000 downloads a week in February to two million a week in March, according to BBC. For more on Epic Games, read about how the Epic Games Store generated $680 million in its first year. Here are some ways to help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Dwayne Johnson has confirmed that a sequel to 2019's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is in active development. Screen Rant reports that Johnson, who starred alongside Jason Statham in the Fast & Furious spin-off last year, firmed up early sequel plans while responding to his fans on a recent Instagram Live Q&A. "We are developing now the next film, the next [Hobbs & Shaw] movie, and I'm pretty excited about it," the actor confirmed. "[We] just gotta figure out the creative right now, and the direction we're going to go." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/02/fast-furious-presents-hobbs-shaw-end-credits-scenes-explained"] Johnson went on to thank fans for making the first movie "a huge success." Hobbs & Shaw may not have quite reached the same box office heights that the F&F franchise achieved with its most recent sequels, but the action-packed feature still managed to race up to an impressive $759 million worldwide on a reported budget of $200 million. In our review of Hobbs & Shaw, we said the film proves the "franchise still has places to go and people to see" despite being "the most removed stylistically and thematically from the first Fast & the Furious." We praised Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Vanessa Kirby for ensuring that there's still fun to be had in a F&F movie "not centred around cars or racing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/02/fast-furious-presents-hobbs-shaw-stars-on-those-surprise-cameos"] That said, the stunt-packed buddy movie left several plot threads unresolved for a potential sequel to pick up, including the identity of the leader of the terrorist organization Eteon, who still remains a threat at the end of the film, and cameo appearances from Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart, who may have been positioned for larger roles in the sequel. "I'd love to see Ryan Reynolds come into the next Hobbs & Shaw. I think he would be a great team member," Johnson previously told IGN. "I'd love to see Kevin Hart come into the next Hobbs & Shaw. The goal in this one was to set up what the future teams would look like. And who I felt people would find it really appealing to see Hobbs with and create this new unique team." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dwayne-the-rock-johnsons-10-best-movies&captions=true"] Meanwhile, Fast & Furious 9, the next instalment in the long-running film franchise, recently had its release date pushed back by almost a year, from May 2020 to April 2021, in response to actions taken in the film industry concerning the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Obsidian Entertainment has announced that its latest space-faring RPG, The Outer Worlds, will launch on Nintendo Switch on June 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/30/the-outer-worlds-nintendo-switch-announcement-trailer"] The Switch version of the game will be available both digitally and physically. Obsidian revealed on its website that the cartridge version will require a day one patch to optimise gameplay, provide higher resolution textures, and a number of other fixes. The patch size is yet to be finalised, but it's expected to be up to 6GB, so Switch players will require that free space to play. Publisher Private Division was forced to delay the release of The Outer Worlds on Switch due to the impact of COVID-19. Originally it was due to release on March 6, meaning it has experienced a three month delay. This puts the Switch release eight months later than its console and PC counterpart. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20091934&captions=true"] The wait will hopefully be worth it, though. Our The Outer Worlds review praised the game, with particular emphasis placed on its characters and skills. Provided it runs well on the Switch, then it'll be a great addition to the console's RPG library. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

An entrepreneurial Animal Crossing fan has made a database for sharing fan-made custom designs. The news arrives thanks to a post from Reddit user plump_tomato who posted a video of their website in action to the Animal Crossing subreddit. The website's creator then followed up with a link to what is currently known as Nookpedia, a growing database of custom designs made by players in Animal Crossing. You can check out the website here and search by title for certain designs, like this excellent Psyduck hat. You can also filter your searches depending on what clothing item you're looking for if you want to create a custom ensemble. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/animal-crossing-new-horizons-review"] If you'd like to upload a design yourself, you'll have to unlock the Able Sisters tailoring shop in New Horizons. For more information on how to do that, check out our handy guide.  Once you've got Able and Sable in your town, you can use the Pro Design tool (redeem some Nook Miles for it!) to create a piece and then use the kiosk at the back of the Able Sisters shop to download and upload your designs. Simply enter the code above each image on Nookpedia to drag that design into your game. "I figured that now would be a good time to post this as everyone is starting to unlock the Able Sisters,"  the website's creator explained on Reddit. It's been noted that the site is experiencing issues due to all the traffic, but give it some time and you should be able to dig into the database full of incredible custom art. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-animal-crossing-game-review&captions=true"] For more on Animal Crossing, check out our review of New Horizons, which we called an "expanded, polished, next-generation reboot" of the franchise. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

If you ever wonder what one of the paddles in Pong would be like if they were the hero of an adventure game, well, Atari has an answer for you. Pong Quest is an RPG that stars a pong paddle who ventures through dungeons based on Atari classics to save Pong World from a mysterious threat. Check out the exclusive debut gameplay trailer below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/31/pong-quest-exclusive-gameplay-trailer"] As you can see from the trailer, the boring old Pong paddle has been given a bit of a design upgrade. No longer a blank, white vertical block, the Pong paddle now sports a more friendly design and it can change its appearance through upgrades and cosmetics. While there are elements of the classic Pong gameplay where players move up or down to deflect an incoming projectile, there are some interesting remixes. Each dungeon looks to feature some unique gameplay quirk inspired by classic Atari games like Centipede or Asteroids. There will also be a multiplayer mode where up to three players can play against one another using specialized PONG balls with unique abilities. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=atari-vcs&captions=true"] “PONG as an RPG is something completely unexpected, but wonderful in execution,” Atari’s COO Jean-Marcel Nicolai said in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring PONG Quest to life to honor the classic IP and bring the beloved gameplay to a new generation of players and RPG fans.” PONG Quest will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Aside from PONG Quest, Atari is working on a new console called the Atari VCS. Atari also announced a line of gaming-themed hotels. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Further details have emerged about Nintendo's big 2020 Mario plans, including suggestion that the new Paper Mario game will return to its N64 and Gamecube roots.

Owners of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint can invite their friends to play co-op with them for free, as part of a new Friend Pass promotion for the game. The news was revealed in a blog post from Ubisoft, which went into further detail about the scheme and revealed that the game will also be receiving a free trial. "If you've purchased any edition of the game, the Friend Pass allows you to invite up to three friends at a time who don't own the game to join your session and play co-op with you for free," the blog post reads. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/10/ghost-recon-breakpoint-review"] Breakpoint's Friend Pass will be available to those who own the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, with the promotion running until the 16th of June. Prospective players who don't own Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will need PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play with the host, as well as the trial version of the game which is available now on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store. The trial entitles players to six hours of playtime, but won't tick down if you're playing in co-op and utilizing the Friend Pass system. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/06/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint-what-is-breakpoint-gameplay-trailer"] Those who took advantage of the game's free weekend that kicked off on March 26th will have to be invited using the Friend Pass system and won't be entitled to the trial version of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint if they played for the aforementioned six hours during the promotional free weekend. However, you can progress further past this point in the new trial if you purchase the game or use the Friend Pass system - your progression saves will be kept regardless. For more on Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, check out this video on all the changes that have arrived as part of the Immersive Mode update.  [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The wildly popular Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has prompted a Florida sheriff to make a fresh appeal for new leads in the cold case of Don Lewis, Carole Baskin's second husband, who disappeared in 1997. In a tweet on Monday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister recognized that it was a "good time to ask for new leads," as he called upon the public to come forward with information that could potentially lead to answers in the unsolved case.

Since @netflix and #Covid19 #Quarantine has made #TigerKing all the rage, I figured it was a good time to ask for new leads. #CaroleBaskin #DonLewis #Netflix #Tiger #BigCatRescue #JoeExotic #TigerKingNetflix #HCSO pic.twitter.com/LHoJcBZVOI

— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) March 30, 2020

Self-made millionaire Jack Donald "Don" Lewis married animal rights activist Carole Baskin in 1991, and together they ran the Big Cat Rescue animal sanctuary in Tampa before he vanished without a trace on August 18, 1997. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/31/netflixs-tiger-king-murder-mayhem-and-madness-season-1-review"] In the series, Joseph Maldonado-Passage (aka the Tiger King, aka Joe Exotic), who is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison after being convicted for two charges of attempted murder-for-hire against Baskin, insinuates that Baskin murdered and fed her late husband, Don Lewis, to the tigers. However, to this day, Baskin refutes the claim and no charges have ever been brought against her regarding those allegations. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-true-crime-shows-and-movies-to-watch-online&captions=true"] Tiger King consists of seven episodes running 40-50 minutes each and was released on March 20 on Netflix. In our review of Tiger King, we called it "a fascinating and depressing look inside a community of big cat fanatics," which would make a worthy addition to the watchlists of "true crime fans hungry for something different." For those people that have already watched the hit show, read our follow-up piece to find out what happened to the colourful characters featured in the true-crime docuseries and take a look at our rundown of recommendations of other true crime shows and movies that are available to stream now. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

UPDATE, 4/24: Sony has released yet another new wave of release date changes, including moving Uncharted about November 2021 to July 2021. The studio also revealed new dates for their sequels to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Check the full list of new dates below:

• Connected (Sony Pictures Animation) – 10/23/2020 (from 9/18/2020)
• Escape Room 2 (Columbia Pictures) – 1/1/2021 (from 12/30/2020)
• Fatherhood (Columbia Pictures) – 4/2/2021 (from 10/23/2020)
• Vivo (Sony Pictures Animation) – 6/4/2021 (from 4/16/2021)
• Uncharted (Columbia Pictures) – 7/16/2021 (from 10/8/2021)
• Hotel Transylvania 4 (Sony Pictures Animation) – 8/6/2021 (from 12/22/2021)
• Man from Toronto (Columbia Pictures) – 9/17/2021 (from 11/20/2020)
• Marvel Sony Untitled Spider-Man Far From Home Sequel (Columbia Pictures) – 11/5/2021 (from 7/16/2021)
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sequel (Sony Pictures Animation) – 10/7/2022 (from 4/8/2022)
• The Nightingale (TriStar Pictures) – TBD (from 12/25/2020)

UPDATE, 4/21: Venom 2 has now been postponed until June 25, 2021. UPDATE, 3/30: Sony Pictures has rescheduled a swath of their 2020 movie releases --including Uncharted, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Morbius -- to various dates next year in light of the industry-wide shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. For now, Monster Hunter remains slated to open September 4, 2020. Sony Pictures officially announced Monday that Uncharted, which halted production just days before filming was to begin, from March 5, 2021 to October 8, 2021. Sony and Marvel's Morbius, which was to have opened July 31st this year, has now pivoted to March 19, 2021. An unspecified Sony/Marvel title that was slated for 10/08/2021 is now TBD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Another summer 2020 release, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, has shifted from July to March 5, 2021. See all the new Sony release dates below:

• Greyhound (Columbia Pictures) – TBD (from 6/12/2020)
• Fatherhood (Columbia Pictures) – 10/23/2020 (from 1/15/2021)
• Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Columbia Pictures) – 1/15/2021 (from 08/07/2020)
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Columbia Pictures) – 03/05/2021 (from 07/10/2020)
• Sony/Marvel Morbius (Columbia Pictures) – 03/19/2021 (from 07/31/2020)
• Uncharted (Columbia Pictures) – 10/8/2021 (from 03/05/2021)
• Untitled Sony Marvel (Columbia Pictures) – TBD (from 10/08/2021)

Get full details on every movie and show delayed or affected by the coronavirus, and learn when some of these delayed films may resume production. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/morbius-official-teaser-trailer]