Obi-Wan Kenobi composer Natalie Holt is officially the first woman to score a live-action Star Wars project.

The news was revealed during an interview with Vanity Fair, where Loki and Batgirl composer Natalie Holt discussed the honor of providing music to that galaxy far, far away and working with Star Wars legend John Williams.

"Obviously, I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as John Williams,” Holt says. “It's been exciting and overwhelming at times, because I'm such a fan. I want to pay respect to the history of it, and do it justice as well.”

While we've seen a bit of footage of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we have yet to hear Holt's work as the trailers have featured John Williams' Duel of the Fates. She did tease, however, that she grew up with Williams' work and her "starting point was just being a huge fan of the music for the show already."

She also added that she is a "violinist and I come from an orchestral background, so I've been able to do something on an epic scale with these big forces." Furthermore, she will be singing and playing viola and violin throughout the score.

Speaking of Williams, she also shared that one of the main reasons he decided to write Obi-Wan's theme in this new series was that he was "the only legacy character he hadn't done."

"Obi-Wan is a legacy character that John hadn't written a theme for because he died quite early on in A New Hope," Holt shared. "It's the only legacy character that he hadn't done. So he spoke to [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy and said, 'I just want to write Benny a theme.' So who can deny him that? And he did, he wrote the Obi theme, and it just embodies the spirit of the show entirely."

Holt would then build much of her music off those "tentpoles" that were set by Williams, and she says her score is more rooted in Star Wars tradition than the different path that Ludwig Göransson took with The Mandalorian.

"I think it's an emotional score, and it does have its roots in the Star Wars tradition a little more than The Mandalorian does," Holt said. "We had a collection of 250 horns and flutes, and I used this hunting horn in the score. We’re also blending the orchestra with some more modern synths sounds as well. It's definitely what we're used to and a few new elements."

In closing, Holt discussed that she wanted to bring in many different types of musical genres and cultures into her score alongside making it feel "otherworldly."

"There are some Latin influences in one of the planets," Holt said. "There's some Thai, Hong Kong sounds that are more Eastern. Definitely you take flavors from around the world, and then try and turn them into something … otherworldly. You're on Star Wars, you're scoring a planet, it has to have scale."

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to have its two-episode premiere on May 27, 2022. For more, check out Hayden Christensen's comments on returning to Darth Vader after 17 years, who the Sith Inquisitors are in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and McGregor's thoughts on once again playing the beloved character.

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.

Obi-Wan Kenobi composer Natalie Holt is officially the first woman to score a live-action Star Wars project.

The news was revealed during an interview with Vanity Fair, where Loki and Batgirl composer Natalie Holt discussed the honor of providing music to that galaxy far, far away and working with Star Wars legend John Williams.

"Obviously, I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as John Williams,” Holt says. “It's been exciting and overwhelming at times, because I'm such a fan. I want to pay respect to the history of it, and do it justice as well.”

While we've seen a bit of footage of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, we have yet to hear Holt's work as the trailers have featured John Williams' Duel of the Fates. She did tease, however, that she grew up with Williams' work and her "starting point was just being a huge fan of the music for the show already."

She also added that she is a "violinist and I come from an orchestral background, so I've been able to do something on an epic scale with these big forces." Furthermore, she will be singing and playing viola and violin throughout the score.

Speaking of Williams, she also shared that one of the main reasons he decided to write Obi-Wan's theme in this new series was that he was "the only legacy character he hadn't done."

"Obi-Wan is a legacy character that John hadn't written a theme for because he died quite early on in A New Hope," Holt shared. "It's the only legacy character that he hadn't done. So he spoke to [Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy and said, 'I just want to write Benny a theme.' So who can deny him that? And he did, he wrote the Obi theme, and it just embodies the spirit of the show entirely."

Holt would then build much of her music off those "tentpoles" that were set by Williams, and she says her score is more rooted in Star Wars tradition than the different path that Ludwig Göransson took with The Mandalorian.

"I think it's an emotional score, and it does have its roots in the Star Wars tradition a little more than The Mandalorian does," Holt said. "We had a collection of 250 horns and flutes, and I used this hunting horn in the score. We’re also blending the orchestra with some more modern synths sounds as well. It's definitely what we're used to and a few new elements."

In closing, Holt discussed that she wanted to bring in many different types of musical genres and cultures into her score alongside making it feel "otherworldly."

"There are some Latin influences in one of the planets," Holt said. "There's some Thai, Hong Kong sounds that are more Eastern. Definitely you take flavors from around the world, and then try and turn them into something … otherworldly. You're on Star Wars, you're scoring a planet, it has to have scale."

Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to have its two-episode premiere on May 27, 2022. For more, check out Hayden Christensen's comments on returning to Darth Vader after 17 years, who the Sith Inquisitors are in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and McGregor's thoughts on once again playing the beloved character.

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.

Developer OrionGames has announced Arto, an action-RPG with a visually unique graphical style. It's in development for PC.

Arto features, as you'd expect from an action-RPG, plenty of weapons to unlock and upgrade as well as over two dozen enemy types to fight. But what makes it stand out is obvious by looking at the screenshots below or the announcement trailer above: it's the distinct art style, which Orion describes as breathing life into a word devoid of color. Each of the six biomes will deliver its own unique look.

The single-player story also promises a branching narrative with multiple endings, an open world to explore, and plenty of challenging boss fights.

You can wishlist Arto on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Developer Orion Games has announced Arto, an action-RPG with a visually unique graphical style. It's in development for PC.

Arto features, as you'd expect from an action-RPG, plenty of weapons to unlock and upgrade as well as over two dozen enemy types to fight. But what makes it stand out is obvious by looking at the screenshots below or the announcement trailer above: it's the distinct art style, which Orion describes as breathing life into a word devoid of color. Each of the six biomes will deliver its own unique look.

The single-player story also promises a branching narrative with multiple endings, an open world to explore, and plenty of challenging boss fights.

You can wishlist Arto on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Drivers in the UK could be allowed to watch TV from behind the wheel of a self-driving car if proposed updates to the law go through.

As reported by the BBC, an update to The Highway Code will arrive this summer that addresses what is and isn't legal in automated vehicles, and could arrive in the UK as early as this year.

The draft amendment states that watching TV from a car's infotainment apparatus – essentially a touch screen mounted on the dashboard – will be legal in situations where automated driving itself is legal. At the moment, this is only expected to be while travelling at low speeds on congested motorways.

It states: "While a self-driving vehicle is driving itself in a valid situation, you are not responsible for how it drives. You may turn your attention away from the road and you may also view content through the vehicle’s built-in infotainment apparatus, if available."

Using your phone or similar handheld technology in the car will still be illegal though, even if the car is allowed to be self-driving – unless, as the normal law applies, the driver is required to call emergency services.

This update was part of what the government calls "interim measures" to support early adopters of automated vehicles but full regulatory framework is expected to arrive by 2025.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Drivers in the UK could be allowed to watch TV from behind the wheel of a self-driving car if proposed updates to the law go through.

As reported by the BBC, an update to The Highway Code will arrive this summer that addresses what is and isn't legal in automated vehicles, and could arrive in the UK as early as this year.

The draft amendment states that watching TV from a car's infotainment apparatus – essentially a touch screen mounted on the dashboard – will be legal in situations where automated driving itself is legal. At the moment, this is only expected to be while travelling at low speeds on congested motorways.

It states: "While a self-driving vehicle is driving itself in a valid situation, you are not responsible for how it drives. You may turn your attention away from the road and you may also view content through the vehicle’s built-in infotainment apparatus, if available."

Using your phone or similar handheld technology in the car will still be illegal though, even if the car is allowed to be self-driving – unless, as the normal law applies, the driver is required to call emergency services.

This update was part of what the government calls "interim measures" to support early adopters of automated vehicles but full regulatory framework is expected to arrive by 2025.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Borderlands 3 is finally getting cross-play after PlayStation initially blocked the feature.

As reported by GameSpot, developer Gearbox announced at PAX East that cross-play would arrive this spring, meaning players on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC can all play together.

The studio revealed last year that full cross-play was ready for Borderlands 3 but it was told to pull the feature from PlayStation consoles.

Cross-play was available in Gearbox's latest game, however, as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands included the feature from the moment it launched last month, allowing up to four players to play online together regardless of platform.

Sony has been historically resistant to letting its players join those on its competitors' platforms but titanic titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Rocket League have helped push cross-play into the norm.

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida had previously commented that "our way of thinking is always that PlayStation is the best place to play", which caused significant backlash amongst players on all platforms.

A few years on in 2022 and multiple games support cross-play, including Rainbow Six Extraction, MLB The Show, and Overwatch. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan made the turnarond clear, saying last June that the publisher supports and encourages the feature.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "Borderlands 3 sticks to its guns and outdoes itself with an amazing arsenal of weapons, humour, and missions."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Borderlands 3 is finally getting cross-play after PlayStation initially blocked the feature.

As reported by GameSpot, developer Gearbox announced at PAX East that cross-play would arrive this spring, meaning players on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC can all play together.

The studio revealed last year that full cross-play was ready for Borderlands 3 but it was told to pull the feature from PlayStation consoles.

Cross-play was available in Gearbox's latest game, however, as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands included the feature from the moment it launched last month, allowing up to four players to play online together regardless of platform.

Sony has been historically resistant to letting its players join those on its competitors' platforms but titanic titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Rocket League have helped push cross-play into the norm.

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida had previously commented that "our way of thinking is always that PlayStation is the best place to play", which caused significant backlash amongst players on all platforms.

A few years on in 2022 and multiple games support cross-play, including Rainbow Six Extraction, MLB The Show, and Overwatch. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan made the turnarond clear, saying last June that the publisher supports and encourages the feature.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "Borderlands 3 sticks to its guns and outdoes itself with an amazing arsenal of weapons, humour, and missions."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Rocket League is getting a limited-time deathmatch mode.

Developer Psyonix is removing the ball in its new Knockout Bash mode as destroying other players becomes the only objective.

The eight-player free-for-all mode was revealed in a PlayStation Blog post and will introduce new mechanics including attack, block, and grab.

The event will only run for two weeks from April 27 to May 10, but features a number of tailor-made maps with various obstacles such as giant spiky pillars.

Maps also feature a "kill zone" where players must force their opponents in order to win using the new attacking, grabbing, and blocking mechanics, inspiration of which was taken directly from fighting games.

"We thought it would be fun if each move set juked another, like rock, paper, scissors," said Psyonix programmer Sky Breen, who was part of the team developing Knockout Bash. "This way, it would allow players to outsmart others if they can predict what move someone else plans to use."

Psyonix is "definitely breaking the rules" with the new mode, Breen said, "but we are hoping players will really love all the changes and new additions we have made."

Rocket League was first released in 2015 and has featured countless updates since, including the addition of new modes that take a step away from its football-based roots.

It's done ice hockey, basketball, and even American football, but Knockout Bash is the first time Psyonix has stepped away from sports altogether by not including any ball or goals.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "Rocket League is an energetic mashing of arcade driving and sports, with a sky-high skill ceiling and endless personality."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Rocket League is getting a limited-time deathmatch mode.

Developer Psyonix is removing the ball in its new Knockout Bash mode as destroying other players becomes the only objective.

The eight-player free-for-all mode was revealed in a PlayStation Blog post and will introduce new mechanics including attack, block, and grab.

The event will only run for two weeks from April 27 to May 10, but features a number of tailor-made maps with various obstacles such as giant spiky pillars.

Maps also feature a "kill zone" where players must force their opponents in order to win using the new attacking, grabbing, and blocking mechanics, inspiration of which was taken directly from fighting games.

"We thought it would be fun if each move set juked another, like rock, paper, scissors," said Psyonix programmer Sky Breen, who was part of the team developing Knockout Bash. "This way, it would allow players to outsmart others if they can predict what move someone else plans to use."

Psyonix is "definitely breaking the rules" with the new mode, Breen said, "but we are hoping players will really love all the changes and new additions we have made."

Rocket League was first released in 2015 and has featured countless updates since, including the addition of new modes that take a step away from its football-based roots.

It's done ice hockey, basketball, and even American football, but Knockout Bash is the first time Psyonix has stepped away from sports altogether by not including any ball or goals.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: "Rocket League is an energetic mashing of arcade driving and sports, with a sky-high skill ceiling and endless personality."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.