A leak of what appears to be a new console port of STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl has been uploaded onto the internet by a Russian streamer apparently upset over developer GSC Game World's approach to supporting the war in Ukraine.

A new report from PC Gamer reveals that a Russian streamer who goes by two names - 'Nevazhno, Kto' and 'Velichaishii' - uploaded footage of an apparent console port of the original STALKER game, first released on PC in 2007, accompanied by a five-page document. Said document details that Nevazhno leaked the footage because GSC Game World has, in his eyes, discriminated against Russian fans by encouraging them to donate to Ukraine's Come Back Alive Foundation. The foundation helps supply defensive equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces, and donating to the Ukrainian military is a crime in Russia, hence Nevazhno's anger.

Nevazhno's chief problem is that GSC, a Ukrainian developer, did not make Russian supporters aware of the potential legal consequences of donating to the Come Back Alive Foundation. "This was an attempt to make bargaining chips out of Russians," he wrote in the document, seen by PC Gamer. "The only mention of criminality came when people began to complain about this shit to Roskomnadzor [Russia's media monitoring agency]".

PC Gamer spoke to GSC, who said "We have been publishing pleas to help Ukraine in our social media and on our web resources—just like thousands of other Ukrainian companies… Nonetheless, an important thing to mention is that we also added a clarification about the donations from Russia later on. We think we might be in the absolute minority—if not the only ones—to do so".

The document reportedly includes a number of other complaints, including Nevazhno's belief that Russian players are discriminated against in GSC's Discord server, but the choice to release footage of the console port of STALKER seems to mostly be rooted in this donations issue.

Nevazhno told PC Gamer that he hopes this leak concludes his attack on GSC. "I hope that everything ends with this," he said. "It doesn't matter how I got it, what's important is that I didn't lie, and this is not some fan mod… this leak was made out of a desire to achieve justice, which I saw in revenge by any means at all. This was a cry from the soul".

As for the leak itself, while it does look reasonably genuine, there's currently no confirmation from GSC over the video's authenticity. The developer did, however, deny to PC Gamer that the leak came from an employee also upset about the studio's attitude to Russian fans, which is how Nevazhno claims he came into possession of the footage.

GSC is currently working on STALKER 2, despite the impact of the Russian invasion on its staff. Originally planned to release this year, the war put a pause on development, and it is now planned for the first half of 2023.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Alejandro Jodowrowsky has enjoyed quite an eclectic career over the decades, developing a reputation as an avant-garde filmmaker, an accomplished comic book writer and the man who nearly brought Dune to the big screen before David Lynch. It's the second of those feats that's on display with the release of The Jodorowsky Library Vol. 3.

The latest in a series of deluxe edition hardcover collections from Humanoids, The Jodorowsky Library Vol. 3 features several seminal works from the writer's widely revered Incal/Metabarons universe. IGN can exclusively debut a preview of The Final Incal:

As the title suggests, The Final Incal is the last chapter in Jodorowsky's Incal Saga. These sci-fi graphic novels follow a lowly private detective named John DiFool, who gains unusual abilities after encountering an artifact called the Luminous Incal.

The original Incal graphic novels were illustrated by Jodorowsky's frequent collaborator Moebius. Moebius began work on a sequel called After the Incal in 2000, but left the project before it was finished. The Final Incal is essentially a rebooted sequel, repurposing some of the ideas from After the Incal and pairing Jodorowsky with artist José Ladrönn. Both sequels are collected in The Jodowrowsky Library Vol. 3, along with Metabarons Genesis: Castaka, Weapons of the Metabarons and various other short stories.

The Jodorowsky Library Book Three is priced at $49.99 and is slated for release on Wednesday, August 9. You can preorder the book on Amazon now.

Thor: Love and Thunder's Taika Waititi is attached to co-write and direct a film adaptation of The Incal.

Check out IGN's Dune Explained feature for more on the iconic sci-fi franchise and Jodorowsky's failed attempt at adapting the original novel to film. That failure was later chronicled in the fascinating 2014 documentary Jodorowsky's Dune.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Splatoon 3 will be getting a dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation this Wednesday, August 10.

The broadcast will be roughly 30 minutes long, and begins at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK / 11pm AEST. Nintendo hasn't hinted at what will be inside, but you can guess at a healthy swathe of new gameplay, as well as new information about the game's Campaign, PvP and PvE modes.

Tune in on August 10 at 6 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #Splatoon3 Direct presentation. Join us in the Splatlands for roughly 30 minutes of updates! pic.twitter.com/iFfaU3V6vM

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 8, 2022

Splatoon 3 will be released om September 9, so this may be our last public look at the squid-based shooter before it arrives. Splatoon 3 was first announced last year, and brings back a familiar mix of competitive multiplayer (albeit with new weapons and special abilities), a returning co-op mode, Salmon Run, and a new single-player campaign titled "Return of the Mammalians".

Splatoon 3 will be the first game to get its own special edition Switch OLED model, which comes with a unique dock and Joy-Con controllers that all feature the game's graffiti-esque artwork alongside a splash of ink. The dock itself is white with a yellow splat while the left Joy-Con is navy blue blending into purple and the right is yellow blending into green.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Ubisoft's Skull and Bones is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated new games of 2022, and now pirate fanatics have even more to look forward to at the end of the year. Dark Horse Books is following up the game's release with a new hardcover called The Art of Skull and Bones.

Like all of Dark Horse's video game art books, The Art of Skull of Bones features a mix of concept art, creator interviews and other behind-the-scenes material that sheds light on the making of the game. Considering how long Skull and Bones has been in development - and how often it's been delayed - that should make for some very interesting reading.

The Art of Skull and Bones will also devote special attention to the many colorful characters and ships that make up this open-world pirate adventure.

“The team did a phenomenal job at creating the world of Skull and Bones - filled with diverse regions, ships and characters," said art director Kobe Sek in Dark Horse's press release. "We are proud to be able to showcase a glimpse of never-before-seen concept art of our game. We hope you’ll enjoy discovering the unique setting inspired by the Indian Ocean and immersing yourself in the pirate fantasy of Skull and Bones!”

The Art of Skull and Bones is priced at $49.99 and is slated for release on December 20 in bookstores and online retailers and December 21 in comic shops.

After many delays, Ubisoft has now revealed a November 8 release date for the game. Check out everything you need to know about Skull and Bones including gameplay details and more here.

Previous Dark Horse art books include The Art of God of War Ragnarok, The Art of Horizon: Forbidden West, The Art of Halo Infinite, The Art of Deathloop and The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Top Gun: Maverick has overtaken Titanic to become the seventh highest-grossing movie ever at the US box office, earning $662 million in ticket sales.

According to Box Office Mojo's latest statistics, the Tom Cruise-led sequel has surpassed James Cameron's Titanic by more than $3 million to become the seventh biggest film of all time at the US box office. It is now positioned behind Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, which currently ranks as the sixth highest grossing release in the US with $678 million.

The fighter jet flick has hit several major milestones since its release in May, becoming Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film of all time and Paramount's number one movie at the US box office ahead of Titanic. However, Titanic is still outpacing Maverick outside of North America with $1.5 billion at the international box office and a worldwide total of $2.2 billion.

Maverick has also earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and become the highest-grossing movie of 2022 at the worldwide box office ahead of both Jurassic World: Dominion and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It also became the first film to pass $1 billion since Spider-Man: No Way Home earned $1.9 billion in ticket sales last year.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Maverick takes place decades after the events of the first film. The highly-anticipated sequel sees the return of legendary pilot Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he gets drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

A large part of the film's success can be attributed to its action sequences. These scenes, some of which could only be filmed once due to the set blowing away, received high praise from critics and audiences. IGN's review of Maverick called it "an out-of-bounds blast of afterburner fumes and thrillseeker highs that's sure to please audiences looking for a classic summer blockbuster."

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Activision Blizzard has announced Call of Duty: Next, a livestream event that will include information on Call of Duty: Warzone 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone on mobile. The showcase will air on September 15, and a public beta for Modern Warfare 2 will follow.

Announced on the Call of Duty blog, Activision Blizzard calls Next an "an era-defining franchise event showcasing the immediate future of Call of Duty." No specific timing has been announced at time of writing.

The event will include:

• Information on Modern Warfare 2
• Information on Call of Duty: Warzone 2
• Information on the mobile version of Call of Duty: Warzone
• A reveal of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer
• Streamers playing the games live
• Unannounced information "and surprises"

The event will be followed by two sets of open betas for Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode. The first set, September 16-20 will be PlayStation exclusive, while the second (September 22-26) will take place across all platforms, with crossplay.

Early access will be offered to those with pre-orders for the game – you can get full details on how to access the beta on the Call of Duty blog.

After many, many rumours, we finally had it confirmed that Infinity Ward would be working on a sequel to 2019's reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. Arriving on October 28, we got our first look at the game as part of E3, including extended campaign gameplay.

An entirely new version of Call of Duty: Warzone was announced earlier this year. It will be developed by Infinity Ward, and will include an "all-new playspace and a new sandbox mode." It will also be developed on the new engine developed for Modern Warfare 2.

This could also be the last annual Call of Duty game, as it was reported that 2023's Call of Duty game will be released in 2024 and that the series may no longer be an annual franchise following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. However, reports also suggest that Activision Blizzard is committed to keeping the next three Call of Duty games multiplatform.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Arc System Works has announced the release date for Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2 alongside its first DLC character, Bridget. The Second Season and Bridget will be released on August 8.

At EVO, Arc System Works’ previously announced Season Pass 2 for Guilty Gear Strive begins with the launch of Bridget, the yo-yo’ing attacker. This is the character’s first playable appearance since Guilty Gear XX Core Plus R.

Alongside the playable new character, Bridget will come with two new battle stages and a second color pack. Arc System describes Bridget as an “easy to pick up” character with both long-range attacks and excellent movement.

Guilty Gear Strive Season Pass 2 will feature 4 new characters in total, so expect three more characters to be added in the future.

Guilty Gear Strive is the latest game in Arc System Works’ popular fighting game series and the studio recently announced that it has surpassed 1 million units worldwide. It is the first game in the Guilty Gear series to achieve this milestone.

To celebrate, Arc System Works has released a new original music video for Sol Badguy’s theme. Additionally, starting on August 8, Guilty Gear Strive’s standard edition will be available for a new lower price of $39.99.

If you haven’t checked out Guilty Gear Strive, IGN’s review praised the newest entry, and rightfully so given it’s one of the most stylish modern fighters currently out there.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Arc System Works creates some of the best fighting games in the business. From Dragon Ball FighterZ, to Guilty Gear Strive, to the recently released DNF Duel, there's no shortage of great fighting games coming from the studio.

However, beyond recognizable titles like Dragon Ball FighterZ, the studio's offerings are relatively niche when you travel outside of the hardcore fighting game audience, especially in the West. Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka wants to change that.

At EVO 2022, IGN spoke with Kidooka, who said that in the past, Arc System Works had been very passive with regards to collaborating with other IPs, with IP holders being the ones coming to them with the offers for collaboration. Kidooka wants to change that attitude. Moving forward, Kidooka said the studio plans to be less passive in pursuing partnership opportunities. Specifically, Kidooka wants Arc System Works to create games that will resonate with western audiences. Whether that means licenses with global appeal like Dragon Ball or working with franchises that originated in the West remains to be seen.

"We need to expand fighting [game] communities through IP," Kidooka told IGN. "In the future, if we have such an opportunity, we are actively pushing to collaborate with new IP owners."

In the long run, Kidooka's dream is to develop a new Arc System Works IP planned and developed in the US.

Beyond Dragon Ball, Arc System Works has collaborated with a number of different IP owners in the past, working on games featuring Granblue, Persona, One Piece, and more. But the next step for the studio could be partnering with companies to create new fighting games featuring characters with great western appeal.

However, even with a widened focus on partnerships, Arc System Works isn't leaving its original franchises behind. Guilty Gear Strive is still early in its life cycle, and as for BlazBlue?

"I have a plan," said Kidooka. His first priority is expanding Guilty Gear Strive, but beyond that, he is also constantly thinking about the new generation of fighting games, and BlazBlue could be part of it. He also said that the BlazBlue IP has a lot of possiblities in genres other than fighting games as well.

For more fighting game news from EVO, check out SNK's announcement of a brand new Fatal Fury game, rollback netcode coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ, and PlayStation's EVO survey about NFTs.

On stage at EVO 2022, SNK announced that a new entry in the long-dormant Fatal Fury/Garou series is in development. It will be the first entry in the series since 1999's Garou: Mark of the Wolves. No release window or platforms were named, as the announcement was only paired with a short teaser trailer and a single piece of artwork.

Currently, SNK is only referring to the game as "New Fatal Fury/Garou", but it does appear to be a follow-up to Mark of the Wolves, as the teaser trailer ends with the reveal of Rock Howard, the protaganist of that title.

Legends never die...
After more than 20 years, FATAL FURY / GAROU is coming back!
Finally, the long awaited sequel has been green-lit!

>Check out the trailer here!https://t.co/LF4x1tgZBO#FatalFury #GAROU pic.twitter.com/yTlfcaFIXd

— SNK GLOBAL (@SNKPofficial) August 7, 2022

The short teaser trailer gives us three mysterious hints of what to expect in the game's story, including, "The City of Legend Still Breathes", "Hungry Wolves Back on the Prowl", and "A New Destiny Hidden In Darkness". Along with the reveal of Rock, two silhouettes were shown in the background during the trailer. These two characters appear to be Billy Kane, a recurring character throughout the series, and Kain R. Heinlein, the final boss of Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

Also known as the Garou series, the Fatal Fury franchise began in 1991 with the release of Fatal Fury: King of Fighters on the Neo Geo. The series continued on the Neo Geo through the 1990s, until Garou: Mark of the Wolves launched in late 1999. The series came to a halt after that entry, meaning this newly-announced title will be the franchise's first in over 20 years.

Even though the series has been dormant for over two decades, many of its characters have lived on through SNK's King of Fighters series, which combines characters from Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and more. Characters such as Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi are staples in the KOF series. Rock Howard, Geese Howard, and more have been added to KOF XV as DLC characters.

For more on what's happening at EVO, check out the big announcement of rollback netcode coming to Dragon Ball FighterZ. Or, read up on PlayStation's EVO survey about NFTs.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

While there appear to be plenty of differences between Game of Thrones and its upcoming prequel series, House of the Dragon, star Matt Smith says one thing that hasn't changed is the show's high number of sex scenes.

In an interview with Rolling Stone (via THR), Smith said the amount of sex scenes his character is involved in is "slightly too much, if you ask me.”

“You do find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’” Smith said. “And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I guess you have to ask yourself: ‘What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time [we’re living in]?’ And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written.”

HBO's original Game of Thrones series also garnered some criticism for its levels of nudity. Actress Gemma Whelan, who played Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, called the show's sex scenes "a frenzied mess." And, Emilia Clarke has said that she won't do nudity again after Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, a story originally published in 2018. Smith will appear as Prince Daemon Targaryen, one of the main players in the conflict known as the Dance of Dragons. The story is a prequel to Game of Thrones, taking hundreds of years earlier.

In addition to a lot of sex scenes, House of the Dragon will also have a lot of, well, dragons. Nine different dragons will appear in Season One, and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik said each dragon will have "its own personality."

House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 21. We also know the first season will have multiple time skips and that its redesigned Iron Throne includes 2,500 swords.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.