As Battlefield 2042 gears up for the release of Season 3, EA is trying to get wary fans back on board to see how the troubled shooter has changed over the past year, including adding it to Xbox Game Pass.

EA confirmed that Battlefield 2042 will be available via EA Access starting with Season 3, meaning that it will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. EA is also planning free access periods across all platforms through December.

While EA has yet to confirm Season 3's launch date, it did reveal that Update 3.2 will include the reintroduction of Classes to Battlefield 2042. This update is part of Battlefield 2042's Specialist revamp, which will see them get more defined roles on the field in addition to a specialized set of gadgets and equipment.

EA says that it has been testing the updates extensively, and that it will soon be revealing another new Assault Specialist. EA is also promising updates to Battlefield 2042's Manifest and Breakaway maps, with the latter getting a "massive overhaul."

While Battlefield 2042 hasn't received much attention over the past year, EA has been working quietly in the background. Season 2 was comparatively well-received by fans, featuring numerous improvements to the launch version as well as the introduction of mid-season events.

Battlefield 2042 notably had a very rocky launch. An uncertain roadmap; poorly-received additions like the Specialists, and overly-large maps all drew criticism from longtime fans of the series. It led to EA saying that the shooter "did not meet expectations" earlier this year.

In addition to the new Specialist and the map improvements, Season 3 will include a new Battle Pass, new events, and numerous quality-of-life improvements. EA says that it should be live "in a few weeks," with Classes rolling out in early 2023.

While you wait, check out some other high-quality Xbox Game Pass games, as well as our full review of Battlefield 2042.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

As Battlefield 2042 gears up for the release of Season 3, EA is trying to get wary fans back on board to see how the troubled shooter has changed over the past year, including adding it to Xbox Game Pass.

EA confirmed that Battlefield 2042 will be available via EA Access starting with Season 3, meaning that it will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. EA is also planning free access periods across all platforms through December.

While EA has yet to confirm Season 3's launch date, it did reveal that Update 3.2 will include the reintroduction of Classes to Battlefield 2042. This update is part of Battlefield 2042's Specialist revamp, which will see them get more defined roles on the field in addition to a specialized set of gadgets and equipment.

EA says that it has been testing the updates extensively, and that it will soon be revealing another new Assault Specialist. EA is also promising updates to Battlefield 2042's Manifest and Breakaway maps, with the latter getting a "massive overhaul."

While Battlefield 2042 hasn't received much attention over the past year, EA has been working quietly in the background. Season 2 was comparatively well-received by fans, featuring numerous improvements to the launch version as well as the introduction of mid-season events.

Battlefield 2042 notably had a very rocky launch. An uncertain roadmap; poorly-received additions like the Specialists, and overly-large maps all drew criticism from longtime fans of the series. It led to EA saying that the shooter "did not meet expectations" earlier this year.

In addition to the new Specialist and the map improvements, Season 3 will include a new Battle Pass, new events, and numerous quality-of-life improvements. EA says that it should be live "in a few weeks," with Classes rolling out in early 2023.

While you wait, check out some other high-quality Xbox Game Pass games, as well as our full review of Battlefield 2042.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The Batman fans will see a different side to The Penguin as he becomes more of a hustler in the upcoming spin-off show.

During an interview with Variety, HBO Max head of originals Sarah Aubrey revealed that Colin Farrell’s Penguin is a gritty, grounded villain.

“The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can,” she said. “As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters.”

“It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level, because he’s not flying around like Batman does,” she added. “We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.”

The Penguin will see Colin Farrell reprise his role from The Batman as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot. Originally appearing as more of a mid-level mobster than a kingpin in his own right, The Penguin ran the Iceberg Lounge and hated his nickname.

The upcoming series will seemingly show his rise from Falcone henchman to a villain in his own right, to become the Penguin we know and love.

“Penguin will sit immediately after the end of The Batman and temporally before the events of the second movie,” said Aubrey. “The show will come out in between the two movies. Now beyond that, it’s fun for the audience to know that it will be a bridge between the two, but the actual release date, I’m not at liberty to say.”

IGN’s review of The Batman gave it 10/10 and said: “The Batman is a gripping, gorgeous, and, at times, genuinely scary psychological crime thriller that gives Bruce Wayne the grounded detective story he deserves. Robert Pattinson is great as a very broken Batman, but it’s Zoe Kravitz and Paul Dano who steal the show, with a movingly layered Selina Kyle/Catwoman and a terrifyingly unhinged Riddler. Writer/director Matt Reeves managed to make a Batman movie that’s entirely different from the others in the live-action canon, yet surprisingly loyal to Gotham lore as a whole. Ultimately, it’s one that thoroughly earns its place in this iconic character’s legacy.”

Want to read more about The Batman? Check out which other Batman villains could get their own spin-offs and find out what Colin Farrell has to say about The Penguin.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The Batman fans will see a different side to The Penguin as he becomes more of a hustler in the upcoming spin-off show.

During an interview with Variety, HBO Max head of originals Sarah Aubrey revealed that Colin Farrell’s Penguin is a gritty, grounded villain.

“The goal of this is to show what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can,” she said. “As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It is a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters.”

“It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level, because he’s not flying around like Batman does,” she added. “We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.”

The Penguin will see Colin Farrell reprise his role from The Batman as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot. Originally appearing as more of a mid-level mobster than a kingpin in his own right, The Penguin ran the Iceberg Lounge and hated his nickname.

The upcoming series will seemingly show his rise from Falcone henchman to a villain in his own right, to become the Penguin we know and love.

“Penguin will sit immediately after the end of The Batman and temporally before the events of the second movie,” said Aubrey. “The show will come out in between the two movies. Now beyond that, it’s fun for the audience to know that it will be a bridge between the two, but the actual release date, I’m not at liberty to say.”

IGN’s review of The Batman gave it 10/10 and said: “The Batman is a gripping, gorgeous, and, at times, genuinely scary psychological crime thriller that gives Bruce Wayne the grounded detective story he deserves. Robert Pattinson is great as a very broken Batman, but it’s Zoe Kravitz and Paul Dano who steal the show, with a movingly layered Selina Kyle/Catwoman and a terrifyingly unhinged Riddler. Writer/director Matt Reeves managed to make a Batman movie that’s entirely different from the others in the live-action canon, yet surprisingly loyal to Gotham lore as a whole. Ultimately, it’s one that thoroughly earns its place in this iconic character’s legacy.”

Want to read more about The Batman? Check out which other Batman villains could get their own spin-offs and find out what Colin Farrell has to say about The Penguin.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

God of War: Ragnarok is out now, and as players journey through the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, they're uncovering plenty of interesting secrets and pieces of God of War lore. But one of the most interesting easter eggs in God of War: Ragnarok isn't God of War-related at all — it's a series of references to a number of completely different games.

Warning: Minor God of War spoilers about an in-game collectible follow below the video. Read at your own risk!

God of War: Ragnarok includes a set of collectibles called Kvasir's Poems. There are 14 of them total hidden all across the game, and each one is a reference to a different game that was at least at one point a PlayStation exclusive. Players have found poems that are references to Horizon: Zero Dawn, MLB the Show, Death Stranding, Uncharted, and more.

The content of the poems isn't the only reference, though reading through them, it's pretty obvious what they're about. They also all have humorous names that are rough synonyms for the titles of said games; so, "The Sunrise of Nothingness," "Large Society Ground Orb, The Performance," "Afterlife Abandonment," and "Upon Pursuring a Place Not Marked on a Map." The poem reference to Journey is, delightfully, just "Trip."

We'll let you find them all on your own, but here's an example to give you an idea of how they're structured:

If you'd rather not chase them down yourself, we're currently working on guides not just to all 14 poems, but to all of God of War: Ragnarok's hidden secrets. We've also got this handy dandy visual guide to the poems specifically:

And you can find help for every aspect of the game, including a walkthrough, in our God of War: Ragnarok Wiki Guide.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

God of War: Ragnarok is out now, and as players journey through the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, they're uncovering plenty of interesting secrets and pieces of God of War lore. But one of the most interesting easter eggs in God of War: Ragnarok isn't God of War-related at all — it's a series of references to a number of completely different games.

Warning: Minor God of War spoilers about an in-game collectible follow below the video. Read at your own risk!

God of War: Ragnarok includes a set of collectibles called Kvasir's Poems. There are 14 of them total hidden all across the game, and each one is a reference to a different game that was at least at one point a PlayStation exclusive. Players have found poems that are references to Horizon: Zero Dawn, MLB the Show, Death Stranding, Uncharted, and more.

The content of the poems isn't the only reference, though reading through them, it's pretty obvious what they're about. They also all have humorous names that are rough synonyms for the titles of said games; so, "The Sunrise of Nothingness," "Large Society Ground Orb, The Performance," "Afterlife Abandonment," and "Upon Pursuring a Place Not Marked on a Map." The poem reference to Journey is, delightfully, just "Trip."

We'll let you find them all on your own, but here's an example to give you an idea of how they're structured:

If you'd rather not chase them down yourself, we're currently working on guides not just to all 14 poems, but to all of God of War: Ragnarok's hidden secrets. We've also got this handy dandy visual guide to the poems specifically:

And you can find help for every aspect of the game, including a walkthrough, in our God of War: Ragnarok Wiki Guide.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Nope director Jordan Peele is bringing his unique brand of horror to podcasting.

According to Variety, the filmmaker’s production company Monkeypaw Productions is launching a new podcast series on Spotify called Quiet Part Loud.

“I’m always looking for new ways to explore and innovate in genre storytelling,” said Peele. “The potential in audio was tremendously appealing: By stripping horror of all its visuals, you can focus on just conjuring dread and unease in your listener’s ears on this intimate and visceral level. I wanted us to make the scariest podcast of all time.”

The series will launch exclusively on Spotify on November 15 as 12 short-form episodes which will be available simultaneously. It will also include appearances from Tracy Letts, Arian Moayed, Christina Hendricks, and Taran Killam.

Quiet Part Loud tells the story of Rick Egan (Tracy Letts) – a right-wing radio host who loses his platform in the wake of 9/11 for spreading xenophobic rumors involving a group of missing Muslim teenagers.

Eight years later, Egan is struggling for work on the convention circuit, when a mysterious woman (Anna Hendricks) reveals that one of the missing teens has resurfaced. Egan then embarks on a lone crusade for vindication, making a Faustian bargain with a demonic entity known as “The Blank”.

Producers say that the podcast presents “a haunting parable and an unflinching examination of the current state of fear and divisiveness in America” and that it “explores the roots of our conspiracy-obsessed culture where disinformation now runs rampant.”

Quiet Part Loud is written by Mac Rogers and Clay McLeod Chapman, and directed by Mimi O’Donnell. Geoff Foster, Amy McLeish, and Katie Pastore produced the podcast, with Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and O’Donnell as executive producers.

Want to read more about Jordan Peele? Check out what we know about a Nope sequel or spin-off as well as what Nope is really about.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Nope director Jordan Peele is bringing his unique brand of horror to podcasting.

According to Variety, the filmmaker’s production company Monkeypaw Productions is launching a new podcast series on Spotify called Quiet Part Loud.

“I’m always looking for new ways to explore and innovate in genre storytelling,” said Peele. “The potential in audio was tremendously appealing: By stripping horror of all its visuals, you can focus on just conjuring dread and unease in your listener’s ears on this intimate and visceral level. I wanted us to make the scariest podcast of all time.”

The series will launch exclusively on Spotify on November 15 as 12 short-form episodes which will be available simultaneously. It will also include appearances from Tracy Letts, Arian Moayed, Christina Hendricks, and Taran Killam.

Quiet Part Loud tells the story of Rick Egan (Tracy Letts) – a right-wing radio host who loses his platform in the wake of 9/11 for spreading xenophobic rumors involving a group of missing Muslim teenagers.

Eight years later, Egan is struggling for work on the convention circuit, when a mysterious woman (Anna Hendricks) reveals that one of the missing teens has resurfaced. Egan then embarks on a lone crusade for vindication, making a Faustian bargain with a demonic entity known as “The Blank”.

Producers say that the podcast presents “a haunting parable and an unflinching examination of the current state of fear and divisiveness in America” and that it “explores the roots of our conspiracy-obsessed culture where disinformation now runs rampant.”

Quiet Part Loud is written by Mac Rogers and Clay McLeod Chapman, and directed by Mimi O’Donnell. Geoff Foster, Amy McLeish, and Katie Pastore produced the podcast, with Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and O’Donnell as executive producers.

Want to read more about Jordan Peele? Check out what we know about a Nope sequel or spin-off as well as what Nope is really about.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

It's been nothing but good news recently for fans of The Sandman. Fresh off the long-awaited confirmation that Netflix's live-action series is getting more episodes, DC has revealed its upcoming plans for the Sandman Universe imprint in 2023.

The Sandman Universe line returned earlier this year with the debut of James Tynion and Lisandro Estherren's The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, a miniseries focused on the reborn Corinthian. That story is now on hiatus following the release of issue #6 in September, but DC has revealed that Tynion and Estherren are working on two follow-up series, both of which are also six issues in length. The first of those, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House, will launch on April 4, 2023.

“I’m thrilled to announce that Nightmare Country’s follow-up miniseries, The Glass House, is coming early in 2023,” said Tynion in a statement. “The Corinthian is going to be making his way to Silicon Valley, where he will go head-to-head with Angels, Demons, and a breed of creature far more terrifying than anything he's faced before—Venture Capitalists. Lisandro and I are excited to continue this nightmare tour through modern America and can't wait for you all to see what we've got in store for you."

DC will also be releasing the collected edition of Nightmare Country Vol. 1 on April 4. The book will be released simultaneously in softcover and hardcover forms. The latter version will also include an art print of Jenny Frison's highly coveted variant cover for The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1, featuring a striking rendition of Death holding The Corinthian's skull.

In the meantime, the Sandman Universe line will be pivoting in a different direction with the upcoming miniseries The Sadman Universe: The Dead Boy Detectives (which debuts on December 27, 2022). Written by Pornsak Pichetshote (The Good Asian) and drawn by James Stokoe (Orc Stain), the series is the latest DC book to revolve around the titular boarding school ghosts introduced in the original Sandman comic. The series will also intertwine with Nightmare Country as it focuses on the witch Thessaly.

“The brilliance of The Sandman is how seamlessly it fits different genres, histories, and folklores together,” said Pichetshote. “Despite Thessaly the witch being a big player in James and Lisandro’s Nightmare Country, Dead Boy Detectives can still progress her story while telling this very personal horror tale about Thai ghosts in Los Angeles—in events that will go on and feed directly back into Nightmare Country. Doing that—the best parts of shared universe storytelling while telling boundary-pushing, yet still intimate, stories—it's such a testament to the genius of The Sandman Universe.”

Finally, DC has brought legendary painter and Final Fantasy concept artist Yoshitaka Amano back into the fold for a pair of beautiful variant covers. Amano's variant covers for The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives #1 and The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - Glass House #1 connect to form a single montage image. Amano previously worked on 1999's The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, an illustrated novella which was later adapted into comic book format by P. Craig Russell.

If you need more Sandman goodness to fill the wait until December, check out IGN's full breakdown of Season 1's ending and learn how you can continue the storyline of the Netflix series in the comics.

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

It's been nothing but good news recently for fans of The Sandman. Fresh off the long-awaited confirmation that Netflix's live-action series is getting more episodes, DC has revealed its upcoming plans for the Sandman Universe imprint in 2023.

The Sandman Universe line returned earlier this year with the debut of James Tynion and Lisandro Estherren's The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, a miniseries focused on the reborn Corinthian. That story is now on hiatus following the release of issue #6 in September, but DC has revealed that Tynion and Estherren are working on two follow-up series, both of which are also six issues in length. The first of those, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House, will launch on April 4, 2023.

“I’m thrilled to announce that Nightmare Country’s follow-up miniseries, The Glass House, is coming early in 2023,” said Tynion in a statement. “The Corinthian is going to be making his way to Silicon Valley, where he will go head-to-head with Angels, Demons, and a breed of creature far more terrifying than anything he's faced before—Venture Capitalists. Lisandro and I are excited to continue this nightmare tour through modern America and can't wait for you all to see what we've got in store for you."

DC will also be releasing the collected edition of Nightmare Country Vol. 1 on April 4. The book will be released simultaneously in softcover and hardcover forms. The latter version will also include an art print of Jenny Frison's highly coveted variant cover for The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1, featuring a striking rendition of Death holding The Corinthian's skull.

In the meantime, the Sandman Universe line will be pivoting in a different direction with the upcoming miniseries The Sadman Universe: The Dead Boy Detectives (which debuts on December 27, 2022). Written by Pornsak Pichetshote (The Good Asian) and drawn by James Stokoe (Orc Stain), the series is the latest DC book to revolve around the titular boarding school ghosts introduced in the original Sandman comic. The series will also intertwine with Nightmare Country as it focuses on the witch Thessaly.

“The brilliance of The Sandman is how seamlessly it fits different genres, histories, and folklores together,” said Pichetshote. “Despite Thessaly the witch being a big player in James and Lisandro’s Nightmare Country, Dead Boy Detectives can still progress her story while telling this very personal horror tale about Thai ghosts in Los Angeles—in events that will go on and feed directly back into Nightmare Country. Doing that—the best parts of shared universe storytelling while telling boundary-pushing, yet still intimate, stories—it's such a testament to the genius of The Sandman Universe.”

Finally, DC has brought legendary painter and Final Fantasy concept artist Yoshitaka Amano back into the fold for a pair of beautiful variant covers. Amano's variant covers for The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives #1 and The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - Glass House #1 connect to form a single montage image. Amano previously worked on 1999's The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, an illustrated novella which was later adapted into comic book format by P. Craig Russell.

If you need more Sandman goodness to fill the wait until December, check out IGN's full breakdown of Season 1's ending and learn how you can continue the storyline of the Netflix series in the comics.

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