HBO has unveiled a new unsettling, foreboding poster for Westworld: Season 3, featuring the body of a Delos Incorporated android being metaphorically impaled by a towering skyscraper in the background. Westworld, which returns on March 15, adds Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul to the cast as a construction worker by day and criminal by night - who's life crosses paths with new-to-the-outside world Dolores. Check out the poster below, along with a new image of Evan Rachel Wood's host-with-the-most... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=westworld-season-3-images&captions=true"] The key art's desolate sandy landscape seems to suggest a ruined world, as if Dolores' proposed A.I. uprising will hold dire consequences for the future. The tagline too, "Free Will is Not Free," is a tweaking of the "Freedom isn't Free" slogan used to express gratitude for the military. So just that sentence alone hints that a war is coming, and that lives will be lost in Dolores' quest to gain supremacy over humanity. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/21/how-leaving-westworld-changes-westworld-in-season-3-comic-con-2019"] Returning to the series, along with Wood, are Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Emmy-winner Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, and Luke Hemsworth. New cast members include Lena Waithe (Master of None, Ready Player One), Vincent Cassel (Ocean's Twelve, Black Swan), Kid Cudi, the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch, John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom, 10 Cloverfield Lane), Michael Ealy (Almost Human, Stumptown), and Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy). Previously, Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy discussed how this newest season will be a "radical shift" from what came before. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/20/westworld-season-3-teaser-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Researchers predict that the Sun will destroy our Solar System's asteroid belt in six billion years. A new study from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (via Sci-News) predicts that when the Sun becomes a white dwarf, radiation from the star will be powerful enough to cause the asteroids in our Solar System to spin. Eventually, the spin rate will become overwhelming, causing the asteroids to break into smaller pieces. Sci-News explained that the asteroids will continuously break apart into smaller pieces until the rocks become too small to be affected. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] The Sun will become a white dwarf after entering what scientists call the "branch phase," which happens after a star has burned all of its hydrogen fuel. During the branch phase, stars become hundreds of times bigger, and thousands of times brighter. The radiation the star gives off during this time is what kicks off this process. Scientists call this the YORP effect, and it is named after four of the scientists who helped develop this concept. For more news in the world of science, read about how scientists have detected a strange radio signal coming from outer space. Or, read a new study that shows that salty, mineral-filled water could once be found on Mars. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/25/did-scientists-find-liquid-water-on-mars"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Geoff Keighley has announced that he is skipping E3 2020, and will not be producing E3 Coliseum this year. This will be the first time in 25 years that Keighley will not be participating in the famous video game trade show. In a tweet from his personal Twitter account, Keighley announced that he will not be attending this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. "I have made the difficult decision to decline to produce E3 Coliseum. For the first time in 25 years, I will not be participating in E3." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/playstation-will-not-be-at-e3-2020-ign-now"] It appears the decision has not come easy for Keighley. "I've debated what to say about E3 2020," he said. "While I want to support the developers who will showcase their work, I also need to be open and honest with you, the fans, about precisely what to expect from me." "I look forward to supporting the industry in other ways and at other events in the future," he concluded. Keighley answered further questions people posed on Twitter. When asked what elements factored into his decision, he replied "A ton of factors, I just don't really feel comfortable participating given what I know about the show as of today."

A ton of factors, I just don't really feel comfortable participating given what I know about the show as of today.

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 12, 2020

Another user asked if E3 was still viable, considering both Keighley and companies such as Sony are distancing themselves from the event. "I think E3 needs to become more digital and global....it's a brand that means a lot to people, but it shouldn't just be a show floor," he replied. E3 Coliseum is the official show arranged by the company behind the larger E3 event. Keighley has hosted the show for the last three years. The show, much like IGN's own E3 livestreams, involves numerous developer guests being interviewed and streamed online. In the years prior, he has attended and worked at E3 in a variety of different forms. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] Keighley is not the only E3 stalwart to skip this year's show; Sony has once again decided to not attend E3. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

After months of teasing a followup to 2017's Dark Nights: Metal, DC Comics is finally peeling back the curtain on the next Justice League epic from writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. It's called Dark Nights: Death Metal, and the DC Universe is about to get its collective face melted off. Death Metal is a new six-issue series reuniting the entire Metal creative team, including Snyder, Capullo, inker Jonathon Glapion and colorist FCO Plascencia. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at the covers and uncolored interior art from the first issue: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-justice-league-face-the-ultimate-evil-in-dark-nights-death-metal&captions=true"] While Death Metal is a sequel to Dark Nights: Metal, it also builds directly on the fallout of Snyder's Justice League run and the miniseries Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen. The Batman Who Laughs has triumphed in his war against Lex Luthor, and now he and his corrupted minions - Shazam, Supergirl, Donna Troy, Blue Beetle, James Gordon and Hawkman - rule over a world swallowed up by the Dark Multiverse. And pulling the strings of The Batman Who Laughs is none other than Perpetua, the self-proclaimed mother of the multiverse and perhaps the most powerful villain the Justice League have ever faced. As Snyder recently teased on Twitter, Death Metal is meant to be a Wonder Woman-driven story in the same way the original Metal was mostly Batman-focused. In this twisted version of the DCU, Wonder Woman and Flash have struck a Faustian bargain to preserve what remains of humanity, while Batman leads an underground resistance movement and Superman is trapped inside the heart of the sun. Only when a mysterious ally emerges with crucial new information is Wonder Woman able to rally the Justice League and take the fight to Perpetua herself. And, naturally, she's bringing her new Chainsaw of Truth along for the ride. “I’ve been waiting to do this story since we finished Dark Nights: Metal,” said Snyder in a statement. “As much as it was a complete event, we left some threads hanging there for sure. I’d hoped that if people liked the first series enough, we’d have a chance to set up something bigger, and that’s our plan for Death Metal.” “For all of us, Dark Nights: Death Metal is about the fun factor,” said Capullo. “Comics should be fun, bombastic, and over-the-top. This series is going to be exciting and jam-packed with great ‘metal-esque’ moments that will make fans lose their minds when they see them.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/08/wonder-woman-1984-official-trailer-1"] Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 will be released on Wednesday, May 13. The series will continue to ship monthly through November 2020, though it'll take a brief hiatus in August. DC is also teasing a series of "Metalverse" spinoff issues shipping this summer that expand on Snyder and Capullo's story. In addition to introducing The Batman Who Laughs and other nightmarish versions of Batman, Dark Nights: Metal is notable for featuring a rare crossover between the DCU and characters from The Sandman. We'll be eager to see what Snyder and Capullo have planned for a followup. Let us know what you want to see from Death Metal in the comments below. Death Metal isn't the only major DC superhero epic in the works for this summer. A new Batman storyline called Joker War will chronicle what could well be the final battle between Batman and his greatest nemesis. Meanwhile, DC is celebrating Free Comic Book Day with the release of Generation Zero, a game-changing new comic that transforms Wally West into the new Doctor Manhattan. Check out all of IGN's most anticipated comics of 2020 here. [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.

EA has announced that lead development of the Need for Speed games is moving back to UK studio Criterion.

EA told GI.biz the reason for this is because it's struggled to find the right talent for the series in Gothenburg, where current Need for Speed developer Ghost Games is situated. Criterion is based in Guildford, one of the UK's hot spots for game developers, so EA is hoping to have more luck there.

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"With a strong history and passion for racing games and vision for what we can create, the Criterion team is going to take Need for Speed into the next-generation," EA said.

Criterion is known for the Burnout games and for making 2010's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted. However, Criterion was downsized in 2013, and the development of Need for Speed games was moved to Swedish studio Ghost Games.

Now the reverse is happening. After making the past four Need for Speed games on console, Ghost Games will see its engineering team dispersed to support other EA projects and especially help out on matters regarding the Frostbite Engine. Some of the studio's creative team will move to the UK to continue their work at Criterion.

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However, EA says there are about 30 roles at Ghost Games that are at risk. "Outside of the engineers and those that we plan to transfer to other positions, there would be 30 additional staff in Gothenburg, and we would hope to place as many of them as possible into other roles in the company," EA said.

Ghost Games made Need for Speed: Rivals, No Limits, the 2015 reboot, and most recently Need for Speed Heat, which got an 8 in our review. Meanwhile, Criterion has been providing support on EA games including Star Wars: Battlefront II and Battlefield V.

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Thanks to the ever-increasing mainstream popularity of Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop role-playing games are cooler than ever - and so are TV shows about them. Following in the footsteps of series like Critical Role and HarmonQuest, IGN can exclusively reveal that DC Universe has greenlit a new unscripted anthology gaming miniseries, DC Universe All Star Games, which will feature famous DC fans playing a variety of different games (and inevitably making you wish you could ditch your friends and join their party instead). Executive produced by Freddie Prinze Jr. (most recently heard reprising his Star Wars Rebels role of Kanan Jarrus in The Rise of Skywalker) and Sam Witwer (soon to be heard reprising his role as Darth Maul in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and directed by by Jon Lee Broady, Season 1 will also feature Clare Grant, Vanessa Marshall, and WWE’s Xavier Woods as they embark on a retro adventure blending two distinct genres. Watch these famous D&D fans (including the Russo brothers, Joe Manganiello, and Deborah Ann Woll) explain why the game has become so popular again: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/02/why-is-dd-so-popular-again"] Utilizing the classic '80s role-playing game DC Heroes, the story featured in Season 1 of All Star Games is described as a "nostalgic role-playing adventure, The Breakfast League ... Set in the same '80s era as when the game was first published, the five participants role-play as a group of high schoolers stuck in Saturday detention. As they improv their way through a variety of situations familiar to fans of beloved movies from that time period, they soon discover their destinies as the world’s greatest super-heroes." A mash-up of classic '80s teen comedies and DC heroes? That's our kind of crossover. Episode 1 of the five-part freshman season will hit DC Universe on February 28, with new episodes debuting exclusively on the digital platform every Friday. “DC Heroes was the first RPG I ever played as a kid. It was also my introduction to the DC Universe, its heroes and, most importantly, its rich pool of villains,” said Prinze in a statement “I had a blast making this series and I hope all of you love it as much as I do.” Check out the official logo for DCU All Star Games below. For more from DC, check out our review of the animated Harley Quinn series and watch the trailer for the upcoming animated movie Superman: Red Son below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/16/superman-red-son-exclusive-trailer"]

Researchers in Canada have identified a new species of tyrannosaur that roamed North America around 80 million years ago. Palaeontologists from the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrell Museum in Canada recently dusted off some fossilised skull fragments, found by John De Groot, a farmer and palaeontology enthusiast, who stumbled upon the relics while hiking near Hays, Alberta.

Introducing the first new species of tyrannosaur discovered in Canada in 50 years. Meet Thanatotheristes degrootorum, the ‘reaper of death’! Read all about it on our blog: https://t.co/hIQZkxdACk #Thanatotheristes #ReaperOfDeath #RTMPResearch pic.twitter.com/WYNmsMuUFY

— Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (@RoyalTyrrell) February 10, 2020

Scientists analyzed the unique features of the fossil skull fragments from the toothy tyrant to identify the new tyrannosaur species, which is thought to be 2.5 million years older than its closest relative. "Thanatotheristes can be distinguished from all other tyrannosaurs by numerous characteristics of the skull, but the most prominent are vertical ridges that run the length of the upper jaw," said Jared Voris, a University of Calgary PhD student, and lead author of the study. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/10/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-a-look-inside-featurette"] The predator has been officially named Thanatotheristes degrootorum; the first word is inspired by the Greek god of Death and "theristes", which translates to reaper, awarding the dino the fearsome "Reaper of Death" nickname. The second part of the name honours the De Groot family. "This discovery is significant because it fills in a gap in our understanding of tyrannosaur evolution," concluded Dr. François Therrien, Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/07/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-ending-explained"] This new research comes shortly after a study found that Earth may have been contaminated with high levels of mercury long before a giant asteroid struck the planet, spelling the end of dinosaurs. In this case, researchers examined fossilized marine mollusk shells across the globe to discover what appeared to be "a global signal of both abrupt ocean warming and distinctly elevated mercury concentrations" associated with the massive volcanic eruptions of the Deccan Traps in western India. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-deaths-in-the-jurassic-park-movies&captions=true"] Dinosaur extinction was just one of the many topics covered in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which has a sequel coming in June, 2021. While there has been no official word on the plot for Jurassic World 3, an all-new short film, titled Battle at Big Rock, was released online in September to help to bridge the story between Fallen Kingdom and the next instalment in the franchise. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Many signs that seem to point towards a battle royale mode coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have emerged since season 2 was announced yesterday, including a look at what appears to be the whole map.

The first indicator of battle royale can be seen in a new option has been added to the main menu if you download the Season 2 update for Modern Warfare, which currently reads "CLASSIFIED". This is seems very likely to be a new game mode.

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Further evidence that it could be a battle royale mode starts with the opening cinematic that plays when you first boot up Season 2. At the 1:20 mark in the cinematic, soldiers are seen jumping out of a plane onto what appears to be a much larger map than usual, which is surrounded by clouds of green gas.

Given that battle royale modes usually involve jumping out of a plane, have huge maps, and usually have a deadly zone moves towards the centre of the map and shrinks the play space, all of this points towards a battle royale mode.

Further evidence comes from the fact that the map seen in that cinematic seems to have been found inside the game. YouTuber Prestige Is Key claims that you can find it by starting a private match on the Atlas Superstore map and switching to the COD caster spectator mode.

If you go to Atlas Superstore in a private match and become the COD caster you can explore the entire map. It is all low quality because you don't see it in regular gameplay. I flew all the way up in the sky to get the overview :) pic.twitter.com/QpiVaBd7Un

— Ryan B. (@PrestigeIsKey) February 12, 2020

A large map that matches the one in the cinematic can then apparently be viewed in its entirety, though it is in low resolution. A Redditor also posted a video of them flying high above that same map.

There's no official word on whether Modern Warfare is getting a battle royale mode and, if it is, when it might arrive. But given that this seems to be a battle royale map that's become accessible since Season 2 arrived, it could be that it will arrive soon.

Season 2 of Modern Warfare was leaked before it arrived too. Its new maps, skins, and guns were discovered before Activision was able to make the official announcement.

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

First details on the competitive first-person shooter for PC being made by League of Legends developer Riot Games have emerged after a recent playtest.

Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro HenryG tweeted his impressions of the game, currently codenamed Project A, after he spent a day playing it at Riot's European offices.

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He reports that the game is most similar to CS:GO, being that it's a 5v5 round-based tactical shooter. HenryG got to play a 12-round search and destroy mode, with A and B bombsites, and which had attackers and defenders swapping places at half time.

Where Project A differs from CS:GO is by having characters with unique skills tied to them. HenryG says the abilities are diluted in their power compared to those in Overwatch and Apex Legends. This means your shooting skill and tactics on the map are more important than using an ability to turn the tide of battle.

In my opinion, these aforementioned classes and their own unique 'abilities' should be seen as tactical utility instead of potentially overpowered spell/ultimate combinations that other class-based games suffer from.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

He reckons you shouldn't rely on them but adds that "there's nothing more satisfying dropping a successful combo of movement mechanics abilities that isolates your opponent to buy space before pulling the trigger on the killing blow."

Project A also has an economy system like CS:GO does according to HenryG. That means each player will start with a set amount of currency and can earn more by scoring kills and completing objectives. That currency is spent on weapons and abilities at the beginning of each round.

Similar to CS:GO, with the economy system, you could partially invest into rounds with less-fire power to take a gamble on a round and enter with basic abilities/utility.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

HenryG adds that the range of weaponry will be familiar to CS:GO players too, and generally speaking, a bullet to the head from a rifle will kill an enemy. This means the shooting appears to be about as fast as CS:GO and so you'll have to be very careful of where you're positioned, peeking around corners to survive most of the time.

Other impressions from HenryG on Project A is that the map design stood out for him. He says it feels very similar to CS:GO, with lanes and choke points, and there's a focus on gameplay over "flowery aesthetics." He also had this to say:

I will leave you with this bombshell: #ProjectA is the best game I have played since CS:GO.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

All that was known about Project A previously was that it's not connected to League of Legends, it takes place on a near-future Earth, and has character-based play. With these first impressions we know quite a bit more. There will be more official details on Project A to come throughout 2020 and perhaps even a name.

Riot is also working on a Legends of Runeterra, a card game, and a fighting game. It also announced Riot Forge recently, in which it's teaming up with third-party developers to create more games set in the League of Legends universe.

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Scientists have picked up on a strange radio signal coming from outer space which seems to repeat in a noticeable pattern. The Independent reports that although these aren't the first fast radio bursts scientists have observed, they may well be the most unusual thanks to the regular and predictable pattern in which they occur. Fast radio burst is a term used in radio astronomy to describe very short transient radio bursts, usually under a few milliseconds long. They are said to be caused by unknown, extreme, and unusual places in space. These oddly regular bursts were picked up by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, which looks specifically for fast radio bursts to determine their origin. In a paper, the scientists described the repetition and pattern as "an important clue to the nature of this object". They repeat in a 16-day cycle, appearing frequently for four days, occurring at least every hour, and then dropping quiet for the other 12. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/05/terrifying-sounds-are-coming-from-outer-space"] While researchers aren't sure exactly what's causing it, they have narrowed the signal down to likely be emanating from the edge of a huge spiral galaxy around 500 million light years away. It is also likely to be from a binary system and could potentially be being disrupted by a black hole, based on previously detected objects with similar characteristics. Other theories for sources of fast radio bursts even include potential communications from far away alien races, though probably unlikely. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] In other cool space news, while signs of liquid on water on Mars have been confirmed for years, a new study has shown a lake on Mars held salty, mineral filled water. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.