This Marvel Villain Just Became the X-Men’s Worst Nightmare

Things are looking up for the X-Men lately. They have a new island nation of their own and have managed to overcome death itself (Thanks, Goldballs!). Still, we can't help but wonder how things will inevitably go wrong for Professor X and the nation of Krakoa. Thanks to X-Men #7, we may have our answer. Read on to learn how the X-Men may have just created their worst enemy, but beware of spoilers for X-Men #7! [poilib element="accentDivider"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-most-anticipated-comics-of-2020&captions=true"] Marvel's Dawn of X relaunch has taken a dark turn of late, showing the many moral compromises necessary to keep the nation of Krakoa safe. The very existence of X-Force flies in the face of one of the three fundamental laws of Krakoa - Murder No Man. But perhaps no compromise casts a deeper stain on Xavier and Magneto's creation than the fate of the precognitive mutant Destiny. And now that mistake may cost them everything. Destiny played a small but pivotal role in 2019's House of X and Powers of X. As a mutant with the power to see the future, she alone was able to sense Moira MacTaggert's unique status in time. When Moira devoted her third life cycle to creating a cure for the mutant gene, it was Destiny who orchestrated Moira's murder and ordered her to spend the remainder of her lives helping mutants, lest she suffer an even worse fate next time around. [caption id="attachment_2301978" align="aligncenter" width="1294"]The end of Moira's third life. Art by Pepe Larraz. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics) The end of Moira's third life. Art by Pepe Larraz. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption] Moira has done as Destiny asked. Now in her tenth life cycle, she's guided Xavier and Magneto as they've built Krakoa and established a better future for the mutant race. However, she's done so from the shadows. No one else is aware Moira is still alive, much less that she's died and been reborn in utero nine times. That arrangement has worked so far, but there's a big catch. Now that Xavier has the technology to resurrect dead mutants, there's theoretically no reason he couldn't bring Destiny back to life. In fact, the prospect of seeing her wife resurrected is the only reason Mystique has been cooperating with Xavier and Magneto. But Destiny's resurrection is something Moira fears above all else. She refuses to allow any precognitive mutants to live on Krakoa, for fear her secrets will be exposed and a target will be painted on her back. What's the point of all this hard work if someone can assassinate Moira and reset the X-Men timeline back to square one? [caption id="attachment_2301981" align="aligncenter" width="915"]Art by RB Silva. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics) Art by RB Silva. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption] In order to safeguard Krakoa, Xavier and Magneto have elected to deny Irene Adler her second chance at life. But that hasn't stopped them from dangling the prospect of Destiny's resurrection like a carrot on a stick in order to force Mystique to toe the line. X-Men #7 shows Mystique risking her life by returning to Orchis' orbital space station. There she discovers the X-Men failed in their mission to stop the creation of the futuristic Sentinel Nimrod. Xavier and Magneto order Mystique to return again and assassinate Orchis scientist Dr. Gregor before Nimrod is completed, telling Mystique she has to "earn" Destiny's resurrection. After reluctantly agreeing, Mystique reflects back on a conversation she and Destiny shared years before. Destiny warned her wife that an island would be created and Mystique would be offered a new home, only to be denied the one thing she craved most. Destiny urged Mystique to do everything in her power to bring her back. And if that fails, Destiny made one simple request - "Burn that place to the ground." [caption id="attachment_2301980" align="aligncenter" width="925"]Art by Matteo Buffagni. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics) Art by Matteo Buffagni. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption] Mystique may have been confused by that conversation at the time, but now she understands what her wife was trying to tell her. Xavier and Magneto are never going to resurrect Destiny, leaving Mystique with no recourse but to destroy the home they worked so long and hard to build. It's not as if Mystique doesn't have a track record of throwing the X-Men under a bus for the sake of her own selfish desires. And in this case, can you really blame her? X-Men #7 strongly hints Mystique will become one of the major antagonists in Jonathan Hickman's X-Men run, potentially bringing an end to the new mutant nation. We could even see her defecting to Orchis, as recent chapters of X-Men have shown that organization has found its own pathway to immortality. Maybe they can offer Mystique the one thing Professor Xavier is unwilling to provide. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now"] Whatever the future holds for Krakoa, it sounds like we'll get a better idea of the new threats emerging for the X-Men on Free Comic Book Day. Marvel Comics is also gearing up for a major Avengers/Fantastic Four crossover called Empyre, a story we think might be offering a snapshot of the MCU's future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Dreams Kicks Off PS4’s Exciting 2020

BEYOND! On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Lucy O'Brien, Ryan McCaffrey, and Tom Marks to take a look at PS4's exciting 2020 lineup of exclusives. Kicking off with Dreams, Jonathon and Lucy are joined by Abbie Heppe and Siobhan Reddy of Media Molecule to discuss Dreams' imminent launch, its early access beta period, and its encouraging community. Then, the rest of the cast dives into Ryan's MLB The Show 20 preview, thoughts on FF7 Remake, The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and much more! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=big-ps4-ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Download or listen to the show on these platforms: Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday at 3 p.m. PT. For the latest on PS5, check out the new PS5 logo, how fans reacted to the PS5 logo, and check out images of the allegedly PS5 dev kit and controller, as well as a leak alleging the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Geoff Keighley Felt E3 Coliseum Couldn’t ‘Deliver to Fans’

Geoff Keighley has spoken to IGN about his decision to skip E3 2020 and part ways with the E3 Coliseum show he's produced and hosted in recent years. He points to that show not being able to "deliver to fans" this year, but makes clear he could return in future. Keighley explained that he made the decision to step away from producing the show following The Game Awards in December. That decision seems to primarily have been made due to what E3 Coliseum could (and couldn't) deliver this year: "I've been to all 25 E3s so I know the show pretty well", Keighley wrote. "As I looked at the information that was available to me about this year's show, and based on my conversations with The ESA, I just didn't feel like we could do a Coliseum that would really deliver to the fans." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=e3-2020-confirmed-companies-attending-the-show&captions=true"] Keighley didn't specify exactly what the show couldn't deliver, but it's likely that Sony's lack of involvement in E3 this year, as well as other developers' competing events would form a major part of that difficulty. When asked if companies not taking part in the show were a primary motivation for stepping away, Keighley explained: "The lack of unity was a contributing factor, but there were a lot of things that played into my decision." This isn't necessarily Keighley's final E3, however. While it's clear that this year's show doesn't work for what he wants, he would consider a return in future: "I'm open to it, sure. This is just a decision related to E3 2020." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/playstation-will-not-be-at-e3-2020-ign-now"] Keighley spoke on Twitter earlier today about how E3 should become a more digital and globally focused event, moving away from the traditional showfloor experience, which raises questions about his other main conference show, Opening Night Live at Gamescom. However, it seems that show will continue as expected: "Every show is different. We had a ton of fun producing Opening Night Live at gamescom and have a multi-year deal with them to continue that franchise", he explained. "That show works really well at gamescom because three aren't a ton of competing press conferences. I'm not sure the same model would work at E3. You have to find the right programming for each event and audience." As for who actually will be at E3 this year, the ESA has released an initial list of attendees today, including Xbox, Nintendo and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he is also publicly announcing that he won't be hosting E3 Coliseum this year, in case you were wondering. Follow him on Twitter.

Ben Solo’s First Kill Revealed

Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren by writer Charles Soule and artist Will Sliney is a comic mini-series showing how once-promising Jedi Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side and became Kylo Ren. The third issue reveals a pivotal step in that journey: the first time Ben killed a Jedi. However, it doesn’t happen like you’d think. Warning: full spoilers ahead! [poilib element="accentDivider"] The first two issues of the series reveal that certain events only hinted at in the movies actually unfolded in quite a different manner. For one, Ben didn’t destroy the Jedi temple after his confrontation with Luke Skywalker. A strange, booming voice bellowed from the sky and Force-lightning struck the school and made it explode. Could it have been the Emperor? After that, Ben fled to his mentor Snoke, who greeted him with an uncharacteristically warm and fatherly hug. Snoke instructed Ben to seek out and join the Knights of Ren, but in order for him to join, the leader, named Ren, told Ben that he must kill someone and that it needed to be a good death. In an attempt to prove himself worthy, Ben tells Ren of his first kill. He explains how three Jedi students who were off-planet at the time of the explosion -- Voe, Hennix, and Tai -- tracked him down and confronted him. They were his classmates in Luke’s Jedi school since they were kids. The story shows how there may have been certain tensions between Ben and the other three, but ultimately they were friends with one another. When the three Jedi catch up to Ben, they try to capture him and engage him in a three-on-one lightsaber battle. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=key-moments-in-star-wars-the-rise-of-kylo-ren-3&captions=true"] Ben is able to use his Force-jumping skills to create some distance, knowing that only Voe has the strength to follow him. Landing atop a precipice, Ben waits for Voe to reach him and then Force-pushes her off the cliff. He immediately regrets his decision and tries to save her with the Force, but Hennix had climbed up the cliffside to surprise him from behind. Hennix throws his lightsaber at Ben, and Ben reacts by blocking the saber and sending it right back at Hennix, but Hennix isn’t ready for the counter and is killed by his own lightsaber. Voe continues to fall but is caught at the last second by Vai. Ben ends the conflict by Force-tossing Voe and Vai into the nearby ancient temple and using the Force to cause a cave-in, sealing them inside. After recalling this story, Ren tells Ben that the way he killed Vennis wasn’t a good death because he didn’t want it to happen. Regardless, Ren lets Ben join in hopes that he will get the chance to truly prove himself. Ben even gets a new all-black outfit resembling something his father Han Solo might wear, complete with a blaster strapped to the side of his leg. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-force-powers-you-probably-didnt-know-about&captions=true"] While the small bits of information we learn in the movies make it sound like Ben personally burnt down the temple and murdered Luke’s other students, the real story is quite different. Ben is incredibly conflicted about having to fight his fellow classmates. He tried to save one of them during their battle, and the one he did kill was on accident. The story shows how Ben was never good at handling his famous lineage and that he never learned to share his feelings, preferring to hide them away in an unhealthy manner. Ben didn’t feel like he fit in at Luke’s Jedi academy, but that doesn’t automatically make him an evil murderer. It more feels like Ben was never cut out to be a Jedi, despite how gifted he was in the Force, but instead of dealing with his inner turmoil, he let it fester, and that made him an easy target for Snoke/Palpatine. This story shows how they took a misunderstood Jedi strong in the Force and manipulated him into falling to the Dark Side by framing him for murder and making it seem like his only option was to join a gang of Dark Side worshipers. But despite the conflict raging within Ben, the two surviving Jedi have made up their minds about what to do with him. When Voe and Vai escape the ruins and see that Ben killed Vennix, they take that as a clear sign that he is truly lost. They ignite their sabers, implying that their plan is no longer to capture Ben but kill him for falling to the Dark Side and taking the life of their friend. For more on Kylo Ren, check out the video below where the Force Awakens fight choreographer breaks down how he constructed the epic battle between Rey and Kylo Ren: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/02/star-wars-breaking-down-the-duels-the-force-awakens"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Two More Characters and Maps Added to Resident Evil Resistance

Two new Masterminds and two new maps have been announced for Resident Evil: Resistance, the multiplayer component of the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake. Alex Wesker and Ozwell E. Spencer will each be playable Mastermind characters, with an abandoned horror-themed park and a casino available to torment Survivors in. According to Capcom, Alex Wesker will have more traps compared to other Masterminds. She can set up barriers for Survivors like her plant-based bioweapon Yateveo. Yateveo doesn't move but can be placed in front of objectives to cause some trouble for Survivors. Resident Evil 3 and Resistance producer Peter Fabiano told PlayStation Blog that he's looking forward to seeing how players use Alex's bioweapon. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/18/project-resistance-5-player-gameplay-in-4k"] “You’ve got a few plant-based enemies in the Resident Evil series. Plant 42, Ivy, and the Huge Plant from the Outbreak games, for example. Yateveo doesn’t take direct influence from any of them – or maybe it indirectly does from all of them – but we thought it would be interesting to have a Mastermind use a creature that’s fixed in one spot," Fabiano said. "This could add a layer of strategy to how Masterminds could play.” Ozwell doesn't even have a bioweapon. Instead, the character can place down a Disintegration Field that causes massive damage to Survivors. But, don't worry, Fabiano said the Disintegration Field won't affect creatures and will have an advantage on cooldown rate compared to the bioweapons. "The cooldown is much shorter than other bioweapons, and only does damage to the Survivors – the creatures he places are unaffected. He’s able to constantly redirect Survivor movement to his advantage by changing the stage’s layout, and it also changes the pacing of gameplay with Spencer compared to other Masterminds," Fabiano said. "Instead of one big game changing moment, he slowly but steadily wears out the Survivors.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3-remake-23-new-screenshots&captions=true"] Resistance is a non-canon multiplayer game that comes with the remake of Resident Evil 3, which is due out on April 3 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Resistance has four players as Survivors fighting their way through a map while a fifth player acts as a Mastermind. The Mastermind places traps and creatures all over the map in an effort to take out the four Survivors. Fabiano previously talked about how it's "impossible" for Resistance to be canon and here's everything else we know about the Resident Evil 3 remake. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who will gladly pay $60 for Resident Evil 3, but really really wants Resident Evil 8.

E3 2020: Here Are the Companies That Are Attending

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the organization behind E3, has released a list of major publishers that will be attending this year's expo. That list includes Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Take-Two, Square Enix, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Warner Bros., and SEGA, according to the ESA. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=e3-2020-confirmed-companies-attending-the-show&captions=true"] The news comes shortly after E3 Coliseum producer-host Geoff Keighley announced he won't be attending this year's show. In response to a question on Twitter, Keighley elaborated on his decision, saying he doesn't "really feel comfortable participating given what I know about the show as of today." Sony previously announced it's skipping E3 for the second consecutive year, as the company doesn't "feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year" — a year that includes a console launch in PlayStation 5 this holiday season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/27/why-e3-2020-is-critical-for-xbox"] The ESA also announced public registration for E3 2020 will open on February 15. The company said E3 2020 will feature new experiences for attendees and livestream viewers, including an "all-new floor experience that will be streamed to bring exclusive conversations with leading industry innovators and creators." A report published in September stated the ESA is looking to make E3 2020 a "fan, media, and influencer festival." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Rick Moranis to Appear in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Sequel

Actor Rick Moranis has signed on to appear in Disney's upcoming Honey, I Shrunk the Kids reboot, finally bringing an end to his long retirement. As reported by both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Moranis will reprise the role of bumbling inventor/family man Wayne Szalinski, having previously played the character in 1989's Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, 1992's Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and 1997's Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Moranis also played the character in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, a 3D film featured at several Disney theme parks between 1994 and 2010. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-actors-who-revived-iconic-roles&captions=true"] Following earlier reports that Josh Gad was in talks to star in the reboot, both Deadline and THR say Gad has officially signed on to play Wayne's son Nick, suggesting the new movie is more sequel than reboot. The original Honey, I Shrunk the Kids director Joe Johnston will return for the sequel, with Todd Rosenberg writing the script and David Hoberman producing. While previous rumors indicated the sequel the new movie would be exclusive to Disney+, Deadline is now reporting Disney is planning a full theatrical release. This will be Moranis' first live-action role since Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. Moranis famously retired from acting in 1997, later telling USA Today, "I'm a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it. In the last few years I've been offered a number of parts in movies, and I've just turned them down. I don't know whether I'll go back to it or not." Moranis has appeared in a handful of voice-over roles since retiring from acting, including Rutt in 2003's Brother Bear and briefly reprising his Spaceballs role in a 2018 episode of The Goldbergs. However, Moranis has largely remained off the Hollywood radar in the past two decades, inviting comparisons to other intensely private celebrities like Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson and Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko. Moranis even turned down an offer to appear in 2016's Ghostbusters reboot. We also recently learned Moranis won't be appearing in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. That's what makes his return to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids such a welcome surprise. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/09/ghostbusters-afterlife-official-trailer"] Moranis may not be interested in busting ghosts, but most of the surviving cast from the 1984 original is coming back for Afterlife. Check out the first trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife and see all the clues pointing to the return of a major villain. Then see how we think Afterlife will stack up against 2020's biggest blockbusters. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Epic Games Boss Says All Politics Should Be Removed From Game Companies [Update]

During his keynote talk at the annual DICE Summit, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney argued to keep politics out of gaming and away from developers so that marketers can sell games from a “neutral ground.” In a talk that covered everything from loot boxes to cross-platform play, Sweeney ended his keynote by addressing discourse in gaming, and specifically involving politics. Tim began his talk by discussing the 1960 Harper Lee novel To Kill a Mockingbird and how art, like games, can serve as a discussion piece from politics. "If you think back to To Kill a Mockingbird and the impact that had on people's views in the time, I think that's a genuine outlet for games. It really makes people think about things." Sweeney changed lanes from the idea of games as a political medium and talked about the need for a “separation of church and state” model between politics and gaming companies. Sweeney argued that game companies “should get the marketing departments out of politics.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/19/epic-games-store-gamescom-trailer-gamescom-2019"] There’s a precedent in the industry to downplay the political nature of games in favor of marketability. For example, how Ubisoft continuously downplays or denies any politics within its games that cover everything from religious cults to paramilitary operations. Though not referencing those or any other cases where news and cultural sentiment has integrated within games directly, Sweeney instead argued for the removal of politics altogether. “The world is really screwed up right now. Right now our political orientations determine which fast-food chicken restaurant you go to [alluding to Chik Fil-A’s political affiliations and the cultural response to it]? And that’s really dumb,” said Sweeney. “There’s no reason to drag divisive topics like that into gaming at all.” He argued that a company or business should be “operating as neutral venues for entertainment and employees, customers — everybody else can hold their own views and not be judged by us for that.” “A company is a group of people who get together to accomplish a mission that is larger than what any one person can do. And a company’s mission is a holy thing to it, right? Epic’s mission is to build great technology and great games. And we can count on every employee at Epic — we can even demand every employee at Epic unite behind that mission. But every other matter we have to respect their personal opinions. And they may differ from management’s or each other’s or whatever.” Sweeney then referenced “controversy around political censorship” from foreign countries on domestic companies — likely referencing the controversy around Hong Kong-based player Blitzchung’s statement speaking in favor of the pro-democracy movement in the region. Sweeney says a solution to preventing similar incidents is to get companies to “divorce themselves from politics.” Although, Blizzard’s attempt to divorce themselves from politics by insisting that its punishment of Blitzchung was apolitical only further flamed criticism of the company. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-blizzard-china-controversy-explained&captions=true"] The climate around politics in games has been charged for some time now, both internally surrounding industry and business associations as well as the content of the games themselves. Even Epic Games has been accused of collaborating with the Chinese government through its business relationship with Tencent Games. Something Sweeney has denied. But this highlights just how politics has become an everyday topic. Sweeney admitted that these are tumultuous times, and there is no one answer to how people, customers, or developers should engage with politics in games. But it’s clear from Sweeney’s keynote that, in the case of Epic’s founder, there shouldn’t be a connection between the two at all. Update:  Tim Sweeney has responded to this story in a tweet embedded below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter. (Photo by Rachel Luna/Getty Images)

HBO’s New Sci-Fi Series Looks Like Vikings Meets The 4400

With Vikings in its final season, you might be looking for a new drama series to get your Norse fix - luckily, HBO has an offering that should please the gods and genre fans. IGN has an exclusive first look at the trailer for HBO Europe's new sci-fi crime drama Beforeigners, a six-part series that will be released across HBO Now, HBO Go, and HBO's partner streaming platforms in the US on Tuesday, February 18. Check out the trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/beforeigners-trailer-first-look-at-hbos-new-time-travel-sci-fi-drama"] The premise sounds like an intriguing mash-up of genre mysteries like The 4400 and The Returned with historical dramas like Vikings and The Alienist. Here's how HBO describes Beforeigners: "A new phenomenon starts happening all over the world. Powerful flashes of light occur in the ocean, and people from the past appear from three time periods; the stone age, the Viking age, and the late 1800s. No one understands how this is possible, and the people from the past, called 'beforeigners,' have no memory of what’s transpired. A couple of years later, Alfhildr (Krista Kosonen) – who comes from the Viking Age – is teamed up with burned-out police officer Lars Haaland (Nicolai Cleve Broch) as part of the police department’s integration program. While investigating the murder of a woman with Stone Age tattoos, Lars and Alfhildr make unexpected discoveries." The show joins a number of international shows from HBO's global partners - including the chilling Asian horror anthology series Folklore - which are available in their entirety on HBO's streaming platforms. Beforeigners consists of six 45-minute episodes, which are written by creators Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad, and directed by Jens Lien. Check out the poster for the series below, which features some clever nods to how these disparate time-travelers will settle into modern society. beforeigners trailer poster [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/01/30/folklore-trailer-hbos-new-asian-horror-anthology-will-haunt-you"]

Prince of Persia Returns… as a VR Escape Room

The Prince of Persia series is finally making a return, but as a VR escape room rather than the new video game many were likely hoping for.

Ubisoft announced Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time on Wednesday, a co-operative escape room that utilizes VR set in the Prince of Persia universe. It’s the developer’s third location-based VR escape room after making two others based on the Assassin’s Creed series.

To be clear, these aren’t VR escape room games you can play on a personal headset at home – they are actual, physical escape rooms that incorporate VR into their puzzles and presentation, only playable in one of the 300+ locations Ubisoft has them setup.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/heres-what-ubisofts-5-promised-aaa-games-in-2020-2021-could-be"]

The Dagger of Time puts between two and four players in a “reimagined Fortress of Time,” a location originally from Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Unsurprisingly given its theme and location, players will need to use the time control powers of its titular dagger to solve puzzles and stop a sand army from being raised. Also similar to the games, Ubisoft says it has tried to incorporate some amount of the verticality and traps the games are known, but that the focus is on time control.

It’s been 10 years since the last proper Prince of Persia game, 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, which was met with a slightly mixed but generally positive reception. Ubisoft told IGN back in 2013 that the Prince of Persia franchise had been “paused.”

And while this probably isn’t the follow-up fans were hoping for, The Dagger of Time is scheduled to launch this spring. Also, it almost certainly doesn’t count as one of the five AAA Ubisoft announced it has coming in the next year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Marks is IGN's Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.