Following the end of its partnership with EA, FIFA has announced that it is working on a portfolio of Web3 games ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. So far, there are four games in development that will utilize blockchain technology.

AI League is a 4-on-4 casual game played between AI-controlled characters and players will act as coaches and offer input at tactical moments. Players can also collect and trade characters between teams.

Uplandme utilizes virtual properties and allows players to travel to a replica FIFA World Cup Lusail Stadium and Village and shop for items to customize their home.

Matchday is a game based on social prediction through the use of cards. Here, players can collect and own Matchday player cards that have the names, images, and likenesses of professional players.

The last one, Phygti, is an app that generates digital rewards. It seems to be an initiative that allows players to capture and eternalize their favorite FIFA World Cup pictures and video moments.

“This is a hugely exciting group of partnerships that we’ve entered into as we embrace a new, digitally-native football fan and engage with them in the spaces that we know they are already active within,” says FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai.

He continues, “As we continue to build our gaming strategy long into future, it’s certain that web 3.0 will have an important role to play, and this marks the start of our journey.”

These are FIFA’s first gaming initiatives since it split from EA back in May. FIFA is planning on releasing new soccer and non-simulation games starting in Q3 2022.

Although blockchain games have been widely scrutinized in the industry, some companies are embracing it, such as Square Enix. The company recently announced Symbiogenesis, an art NFT project, that disappointed fans who thought it was a rumored Parasite Eve revival.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Following the end of its partnership with EA, FIFA has announced that it is working on a portfolio of Web3 games ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. So far, there are four games in development that will utilize blockchain technology.

AI League is a 4-on-4 casual game played between AI-controlled characters and players will act as coaches and offer input at tactical moments. Players can also collect and trade characters between teams.

Uplandme utilizes virtual properties and allows players to travel to a replica FIFA World Cup Lusail Stadium and Village and shop for items to customize their home.

Matchday is a game based on social prediction through the use of cards. Here, players can collect and own Matchday player cards that have the names, images, and likenesses of professional players.

The last one, Phygti, is an app that generates digital rewards. It seems to be an initiative that allows players to capture and eternalize their favorite FIFA World Cup pictures and video moments.

“This is a hugely exciting group of partnerships that we’ve entered into as we embrace a new, digitally-native football fan and engage with them in the spaces that we know they are already active within,” says FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai.

He continues, “As we continue to build our gaming strategy long into future, it’s certain that web 3.0 will have an important role to play, and this marks the start of our journey.”

These are FIFA’s first gaming initiatives since it split from EA back in May. FIFA is planning on releasing new soccer and non-simulation games starting in Q3 2022.

Although blockchain games have been widely scrutinized in the industry, some companies are embracing it, such as Square Enix. The company recently announced Symbiogenesis, an art NFT project, that disappointed fans who thought it was a rumored Parasite Eve revival.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

A 2D pixel art Metroidvania based on Dark Souls III was seemingly rejected by Bandai Namco.

According to artist Thomas Feichtmeir (via Twitter), the side-scrolling Dark Souls 3 game was pitched to the company around 6 years ago… but, as we said, it was rejected.

“A Dark Souls 3 - 2D pixel art Metroidvania was pitched to Bandai Namco [around] 6 years ago,” he said. “This is now finally out of NDA, so enjoy the visuals created back then.”

A Dark Souls 3 - 2D pixelart metroidvania was pitched to Bandai Namco ~6 years ago.
This is now finally out of NDA, so enjoy the visuals created back then. pic.twitter.com/Dt5BDasWbU

— Thomas Feichtmeir (@cyangmou) November 8, 2022

A 2D pixel artist, Feichtmeir has worked on a number of Metroidvanias that were inspired by the darker tone of the Dark Souls series, including Blasphemous.

Although the above screenshot is all we’ve seen so far, it does look pretty impressive with its depiction of the Dark Souls 3 boss, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley.

“The art here was created in a style which would have been doable in the average budget estimations of Metroidvania back then,” added Feichtmeir.

Dark Souls 3 was made by FromSoftware, who may not have been involved in the Metroidvania. Since Bandai Namco holds the rights to the property, the game was pitched directly to the company.

Why was it pitched in the first place? Well, it’s all because of the rise of 2D games.

“Back at the time it just became evident that Metroidvanias hit a nerve and would get big,” explained Feichtmeir. “Many of the Metroidvania games which got pitched or seemed interesting anyways had a Dark Souls inspiration, so the idea made a lot of sense.”

It’s true that many Metroidvanias at the time had been clearly inspired by the Dark Souls series, with the likes of Death's Gambit, Dead Cells, and many others following in its footsteps.

Obviously, a direct adaptation is something else entirely… but given the immensely positive response to the artist’s tweet, it looks as though Dark Souls III could have made the perfect Metroidvania.

Want to read more about Dark Souls? Find out why Dark Souls on PC was switched offline and why its features have since been restored.

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

A 2D pixel art Metroidvania based on Dark Souls III was seemingly rejected by Bandai Namco.

According to artist Thomas Feichtmeir (via Twitter), the side-scrolling Dark Souls 3 game was pitched to the company around 6 years ago… but, as we said, it was rejected.

“A Dark Souls 3 - 2D pixel art Metroidvania was pitched to Bandai Namco [around] 6 years ago,” he said. “This is now finally out of NDA, so enjoy the visuals created back then.”

A Dark Souls 3 - 2D pixelart metroidvania was pitched to Bandai Namco ~6 years ago.
This is now finally out of NDA, so enjoy the visuals created back then. pic.twitter.com/Dt5BDasWbU

— Thomas Feichtmeir (@cyangmou) November 8, 2022

A 2D pixel artist, Feichtmeir has worked on a number of Metroidvanias that were inspired by the darker tone of the Dark Souls series, including Blasphemous.

Although the above screenshot is all we’ve seen so far, it does look pretty impressive with its depiction of the Dark Souls 3 boss, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley.

“The art here was created in a style which would have been doable in the average budget estimations of Metroidvania back then,” added Feichtmeir.

Dark Souls 3 was made by FromSoftware, who may not have been involved in the Metroidvania. Since Bandai Namco holds the rights to the property, the game was pitched directly to the company.

Why was it pitched in the first place? Well, it’s all because of the rise of 2D games.

“Back at the time it just became evident that Metroidvanias hit a nerve and would get big,” explained Feichtmeir. “Many of the Metroidvania games which got pitched or seemed interesting anyways had a Dark Souls inspiration, so the idea made a lot of sense.”

It’s true that many Metroidvanias at the time had been clearly inspired by the Dark Souls series, with the likes of Death's Gambit, Dead Cells, and many others following in its footsteps.

Obviously, a direct adaptation is something else entirely… but given the immensely positive response to the artist’s tweet, it looks as though Dark Souls III could have made the perfect Metroidvania.

Want to read more about Dark Souls? Find out why Dark Souls on PC was switched offline and why its features have since been restored.

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

FromSoftware has restored online features for the PC version of Dark Souls Remastered after the servers were taken offline earlier this year due to hacking concerns.

Online features for Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3 on PC were taken down in January this year after a “serious exploit” was discovered that allowed hackers to take control of player computers.

Over the following months Bandai Namco and FromSoftware worked to remove the exploit, and in August the Servers for Dark Souls 3 were successfully brought back online. Multiplayer services for Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin followed in October.

However, in the same Twitter thread FromSoftware revealed that, whilst Dark Souls: Remastered would eventually be brought back online, the original PC release - Dark Souls: Prepare to Die - would never have its online services restored.

“We have determined that we will not be able to support online services for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition that was released in 2012, due to an aging system,” tweeted the official Dark Souls account. “We apologize for the long wait and ask for your understanding in this matter.”

Now, a little under ten months since the servers went dark, FromSoftware took to the swirling maelstrom of chaos that is Twitter once more to reveal that it has finally restored the online features for Dark Souls: Remastered.

Online features for the PC version of #DarkSouls: Remastered have been reactivated.

Thank you once again for your patience, understanding, and support. pic.twitter.com/IZ8lsfx3Tx

— Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) November 9, 2022

FromSoftware's Japanese language player support account elaborated further, stating in a tweet translated via Google, “The PC version of 'DARK SOULS REMASTERED' has completed its security vulnerability investigation and countermeasures, so the game server has been restored and online services have resumed.”

So, rejoice Souls fans, but also remember to pour one out on the bonfire for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare To Die, whose online servers were the playground for many a masochistic gamer.

For more Dark Souls and soulslike news be sure to keep it here with IGN.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

FromSoftware has restored online features for the PC version of Dark Souls Remastered after the servers were taken offline earlier this year due to hacking concerns.

Online features for Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3 on PC were taken down in January this year after a “serious exploit” was discovered that allowed hackers to take control of player computers.

Over the following months Bandai Namco and FromSoftware worked to remove the exploit, and in August the Servers for Dark Souls 3 were successfully brought back online. Multiplayer services for Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin followed in October.

However, in the same Twitter thread FromSoftware revealed that, whilst Dark Souls: Remastered would eventually be brought back online, the original PC release - Dark Souls: Prepare to Die - would never have its online services restored.

“We have determined that we will not be able to support online services for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition that was released in 2012, due to an aging system,” tweeted the official Dark Souls account. “We apologize for the long wait and ask for your understanding in this matter.”

Now, a little under ten months since the servers went dark, FromSoftware took to the swirling maelstrom of chaos that is Twitter once more to reveal that it has finally restored the online features for Dark Souls: Remastered.

Online features for the PC version of #DarkSouls: Remastered have been reactivated.

Thank you once again for your patience, understanding, and support. pic.twitter.com/IZ8lsfx3Tx

— Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) November 9, 2022

FromSoftware's Japanese language player support account elaborated further, stating in a tweet translated via Google, “The PC version of 'DARK SOULS REMASTERED' has completed its security vulnerability investigation and countermeasures, so the game server has been restored and online services have resumed.”

So, rejoice Souls fans, but also remember to pour one out on the bonfire for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare To Die, whose online servers were the playground for many a masochistic gamer.

For more Dark Souls and soulslike news be sure to keep it here with IGN.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he has decided to reduce the size of the company by 13% and let more than 11,000 employees go.

Zuckerberg shared the news publicly in a statement to Meta employees, saying the team is also "taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1."

The cuts, according to Zuckerberg, stemmed from a misjudgment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies around the world switched to allowing many of their employees to work from home to keep others healthy, the "surge of e-commerce led to outsized revenue growth." Zuckerberg, and many others, assumed this growth would continue even past the worst of the pandemic, and he made the decision to greatly increase his investments.

This led to more hiring and initiatives, but the plan didn't play out as he hoped.

"Not only has online commerce returned to prior trends, but the macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss have caused our revenue to be much lower than I’d expected," Zuckerberg said. "I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that."

To combat this unexpected change, Zuckerberg says Meta needs to become more "capital efficient." It will do this by shifting its resources into a "smaller number of high priority growth areas - like our AI discovery engine, our ads and business platforms, and our long-term vision for the metaverse." It has also made cuts to budgets, perks, and its real estate footprint.

Zuckerberg detailed how the layoff process will go, and Meta employees will receive an e-mail letting them know if they were let go or not. If they are, Zuckerberg has promised the following;

• Severance: We will pay 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service, with no cap.
• PTO: We’ll pay for all remaining PTO time.
• RSU Vesting: Everyone impacted will receive their November 15, 2022 vesting.
• Health Insurance: We’ll cover the cost of healthcare for people and their families for six months.
• Career Services: We’ll provide three months of career support with an external vendor, including early access to unpublished job leads.
• Immigration Support: I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, which means everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need.

"This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that," Zuckerberg said. "To those who are leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, and I’m grateful for your contributions.

"To those who are staying, I know this is a difficult time for you too. Not only are we saying goodbye to people we’ve worked closely with, but many of you also feel uncertainty about the future. I want you to know that we’re making these decisions to make sure our future is strong.

"I believe we are deeply underestimated as a company today. Billions of people use our services to connect, and our communities keep growing. Our core business is among the most profitable ever built with huge potential ahead. And we’re leading in developing the technology to define the future of social connection and the next computing platform. We do historically important work. I’m confident that if we work efficiently, we’ll come out of this downturn stronger and more resilient than ever.

"We’ll share more on how we’ll operate as a streamlined organization to achieve our priorities in the weeks ahead. For now, I’ll say one more time how thankful I am to those of you who are leaving for everything you’ve done to advance our mission."

Meta's layoffs follow a similar move by Twitter that saw the Elon Musk-led company let go of 3,700 of its employees.

This unfortunate news follows Meta's quarterly earnings that revealed that its Reality Labs division, which covers its VR, XR, and metaverse endeavors, saw $3.7 billion in losses from operations. Reality Labs has lost $9.4 billion so far this year, and that's even up from the $6.9 billion it lost in the same period in 2021.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he has decided to reduce the size of the company by 13% and let more than 11,000 employees go.

Zuckerberg shared the news publicly in a statement to Meta employees, saying the team is also "taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1."

The cuts, according to Zuckerberg, stemmed from a misjudgment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies around the world switched to allowing many of their employees to work from home to keep others healthy, the "surge of e-commerce led to outsized revenue growth." Zuckerberg, and many others, assumed this growth would continue even past the worst of the pandemic, and he made the decision to greatly increase his investments.

This led to more hiring and initiatives, but the plan didn't play out as he hoped.

"Not only has online commerce returned to prior trends, but the macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss have caused our revenue to be much lower than I’d expected," Zuckerberg said. "I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that."

To combat this unexpected change, Zuckerberg says Meta needs to become more "capital efficient." It will do this by shifting its resources into a "smaller number of high priority growth areas - like our AI discovery engine, our ads and business platforms, and our long-term vision for the metaverse." It has also made cuts to budgets, perks, and its real estate footprint.

Zuckerberg detailed how the layoff process will go, and Meta employees will receive an e-mail letting them know if they were let go or not. If they are, Zuckerberg has promised the following;

• Severance: We will pay 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service, with no cap.
• PTO: We’ll pay for all remaining PTO time.
• RSU Vesting: Everyone impacted will receive their November 15, 2022 vesting.
• Health Insurance: We’ll cover the cost of healthcare for people and their families for six months.
• Career Services: We’ll provide three months of career support with an external vendor, including early access to unpublished job leads.
• Immigration Support: I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, which means everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need.

"This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that," Zuckerberg said. "To those who are leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, and I’m grateful for your contributions.

"To those who are staying, I know this is a difficult time for you too. Not only are we saying goodbye to people we’ve worked closely with, but many of you also feel uncertainty about the future. I want you to know that we’re making these decisions to make sure our future is strong.

"I believe we are deeply underestimated as a company today. Billions of people use our services to connect, and our communities keep growing. Our core business is among the most profitable ever built with huge potential ahead. And we’re leading in developing the technology to define the future of social connection and the next computing platform. We do historically important work. I’m confident that if we work efficiently, we’ll come out of this downturn stronger and more resilient than ever.

"We’ll share more on how we’ll operate as a streamlined organization to achieve our priorities in the weeks ahead. For now, I’ll say one more time how thankful I am to those of you who are leaving for everything you’ve done to advance our mission."

Meta's layoffs follow a similar move by Twitter that saw the Elon Musk-led company let go of 3,700 of its employees.

This unfortunate news follows Meta's quarterly earnings that revealed that its Reality Labs division, which covers its VR, XR, and metaverse endeavors, saw $3.7 billion in losses from operations. Reality Labs has lost $9.4 billion so far this year, and that's even up from the $6.9 billion it lost in the same period in 2021.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Vikings alum Travis Fimmel has been cast as the male lead in the prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood at HBO Max.

As reported by Variety, Fimmel will star as Desmond Hart in the upcoming Dune prequel series, opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson's Harkonnen sisters. The character Fimmel will be playing is described as "a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor's trust at the expense of the Sisterhood."

Along with Watson and Henderson, Fimmel joins a cast that includes Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds and Chloe Lea. Fimmel is best known for starring as Ragnar Lothbrok in the historical drama Vikings, though more recently, he headlined the sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves on HBO Max.

Dune: The Sisterhood is set 10,000 years before the events of Dune: Part One and is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The series will follow "the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit."

The Bene Gesserit has played a role in many prequels and sequels to the original book, which shed light on the origins of the order. Their goal is to harness the power of selective breeding and produce an offspring called the Kwisatz Haderach, a male superhuman messiah who can see the future and access the genetic memories of his ancestors.

While the prequel series explores earlier events in the Dune universe, Dune: Part Two is expected to pick up where Denis Villeneuve's first movie left off, following the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen. The second installment is already in production, with its release date set for November 3, 2023.

For more on the franchise and its complex timeline, here's everything you need to know about the Dune novel and its latest movie adaptation.

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

Vikings alum Travis Fimmel has been cast as the male lead in the prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood at HBO Max.

As reported by Variety, Fimmel will star as Desmond Hart in the upcoming Dune prequel series, opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson's Harkonnen sisters. The character Fimmel will be playing is described as "a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor's trust at the expense of the Sisterhood."

Along with Watson and Henderson, Fimmel joins a cast that includes Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds and Chloe Lea. Fimmel is best known for starring as Ragnar Lothbrok in the historical drama Vikings, though more recently, he headlined the sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves on HBO Max.

Dune: The Sisterhood is set 10,000 years before the events of Dune: Part One and is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The series will follow "the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit."

The Bene Gesserit has played a role in many prequels and sequels to the original book, which shed light on the origins of the order. Their goal is to harness the power of selective breeding and produce an offspring called the Kwisatz Haderach, a male superhuman messiah who can see the future and access the genetic memories of his ancestors.

While the prequel series explores earlier events in the Dune universe, Dune: Part Two is expected to pick up where Denis Villeneuve's first movie left off, following the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen. The second installment is already in production, with its release date set for November 3, 2023.

For more on the franchise and its complex timeline, here's everything you need to know about the Dune novel and its latest movie adaptation.

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