The Halo composers who sued Microsoft over unpaid royalties have seemingly settled the lawsuit.

Marty O'Donnell and Mike Salvatori filed the suit in February claiming that Microsoft was not paying them the agreed upon amount for using their music in the upcoming Halo TV series.

In a tweet earlier today, however, O'Donnell said that "Microsoft and O'Donnell/Salvatori Inc are pleased to have amicably resolved their differences."

Looks like I'll be able to share some of those videos once again! Microsoft and O’Donnell/Salvatori, Inc., are pleased to have amicably resolved their differences.https://t.co/ZLnhFgblr6

— Marty O'Donnell (@MartyTheElder) April 18, 2022

The pair had originally claimed they signed a contract with Microsoft that guaranteed them 20% of the profits made from their music, such as in the Halo TV show, soundtracks, and so on.

O'Donnell told Eurogamer at the time: "If this is 20% then it doesn't seem like Microsoft is really making much money." Microsoft disagreed, saying that their music was made as work-for-hire, meaning it owned the music and not them.

A pre-trial date was set for May 9 this year but now, due to the apparent settlement, proceedings will have been called off.

The Halo TV show premiered in March on Paramount+ and four out of an eventual nine episodes have aired so far.

In our 7/10 review of episode one, IGN said: "While the Halo series struggles the capture the dynamic action of the games, the first episode succeeds in building a compelling narrative that forges its own path."

IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment.

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

Five years after Visceral Games' closure spelled the end of Amy Hennig's first attempt at a Star Wars game, the director best-known for her work on Uncharted is trying again, this time at Skydance Media.

Skydance Media announced today that Hennig is working on a brand-new game set in the Star Wars universe. Little is known about the new project save that it will be a "richly cinematic action-adventure game featuring an original story" set in the Star Wars galaxy.

Hennig's new Star Wars game is her second project at Skydance New Media, where she is also working on a "completely original" game set in the Marvel universe. Hennig first joined Skydance Media in 2019, where she started a new division based around "story-focused experiences [that] will employ state-of-the-art computer graphics to provide the visual fidelity of television and film, but with an active, lean-in experience that puts the audience in the driver's seat".

Hennig was previously employed at EA, where she was working on an unnamed Star Wars project known as Project Ragtag. The project was said to be in the style of the Uncharted series, but was delayed and finally canceled as EA shuttered Visceral Games and sought to move the project in a different direction.

Reports from Kotaku painted a picture of an ambitious title that was nevertheless at odds with EA's direction at the time. EA would later release a single-player Star Wars game of its own in Jedi: Fallen Order.

Hennig's project joins a raft of Star Wars titles from developers including EA, Ubisoft, and Quantic Dream. The new projects come in the wake of Disney reviving Lucasfilm Games and expanding the license after years of EA exclusivity. Earlier this month, TT Games released LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which we described as a rollicking reimagining of Star Wars' most iconic moments.

Hennig's Star Wars game does not yet have a release date.

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.

If you've ever found yourself thinking you don't have enough giant, transforming robot figures in your life, Hasbro has your back. Beginning later today, you can preorder the Transformers: Generations Legacy Series Titan Cybertron Universe Metroplex, which is admittedly a mouthful, but check out the gallery below to see some images of this massive figure.

Transformers: Generations Legacy Series Titan Cybertron Universe Metroplex

At a whopping 22-inches tall, Metroplex has 52 steps to transform from robot to excavator. In robot mode, it includes "a flip-down welding mask," because safety is absolutely paramount for even gigantic transforming sentient robots.

The Generations Legacy Series brings together multiple Transformers universes "all in one toy line," to celebrate over 40 years of transforming robot action. Each figure in the Legacy line includes a code on its package, and scanning the code shows you "character tech specs from across the multiverse." It's the modern version of that red piece of transparent plastic you used to get to reveal a toy's strengths. I'm here for it.

The Legacy Metroplex retails for $199.99 and can be preordered starting today at 1 pm ET at HasbroPulse.com and "most major toy retailers."

Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.

Elden Ring's tutorial is somewhat easily missed by new players, but it seems that FromSoftware is aiming to change that with the game's 1.04 update. The new patch adds a tutorial prompt that explains, well, the tutorial.

FromSoftware fans have long enjoyed the studio's esoteric game design, which requires players to figure out just about everything by trial and error, but Elden Ring has offered a solid middle-ground with features that make the game just a bit more accessible.

This has included a larger collection of explanatory text boxes than ever before and even a full-blown tutorial section that explains the core mechanics through a mixture of text and gameplay.

Known as the Cave of Knowledge, the unexpectedly detailed (at least, for a Souls game) tutorial walks players through how to do things like guard-counter, stealth, and use weapon skills. FromSoftware veterans may find the tutorial rehashes some of the things they've been aware of for a decade, but it's a vital part of the experience for newcomers.

The Cave of Knowledge is located in the Stranded Graveyard at the beginning of the game. It can be accessed by dropping down a pit next to a spectral NPC in a chair, who hints at the tutorial below. However, many seemingly missed the pit entirely, or chose not to jump down a dark hole because, well, it's a Souls game.

While there's no mention of it in the 1.04 patch notes, FromSoftware has stealthily added a new automatic text box that appears when players approach the pit, which will explain that the tutorial lies below. You can see a screenshot (taken by IGN) of the new prompt:

While multiple IGN staffers have been able to activate the prompt since the update, a bit of testing has revealed that – at least for now – the prompt isn't appearing for all players after the update, even on fresh saves. We'll update this story if and when we learn more.

Elden Ring's 1.04 update also included a variety of bug fixes and performance improvements, boosts to Colossal weapons and some magic spells, and some new event phases for everyone's favorite jerk Patches. It also nerfs a popular way to beat ultra-tough boss Malenia – you might be hoping to meet Let Me Solo Her.

Billy Givens is a freelance writer at IGN.

The Pokémon Company has entered into an agreement to purchase the company that prints its trading cards.

As reported by gamesindustry.biz, the North Carolina-based Millennium Print Group will become a subsidary of The Pokémon Company - but will continue to operate independently - for an unknown purchase price.

The company has been producing Pokémon Trading Card Game products since 2015 and will be able to do so much more efficiently going forward according to The Pokémon Company president Kenji Okubo.

He said: "The talented team at Millennium Print Group has been an important partner to The Pokémon Company International for many years, helping us bring the Pokémon Trading Card Game to our fans with the quality they expect.

"By joining forces in a more meaningful way, our goal is to enhance the ways our organisations work together and continue to bring the highest quality Pokémon TCG products to market.

"Simultaneously, we aim to develop Millennium into an even better, bigger, state-of-the-art version of their already exceptional organisation, benefitting not just Pokémon, but all of their customers."

Pokémon cards continue to grow in popularity 25 years after the original set was released, as evidenced, among other things, by the number of people trying to steal them.

An independent gaming store in Minnesota reportedly had around $250,000 worth of Pokémon merchandise stolen in February while in March a man was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly launching a literal heist in order to steal the treasured cards.

Also in March, a Georgia man didn't steal Pokémon cards directly but instead misused money from the government to buy one, using a COVID-19 relief payment to buy a rare, shiny Charizard.

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

CD Projekt Red is not planning to release its single-player Gwent spin-off, Project Golden Nekker, on consoles.

Gwent Comms lead Paweł Burza confirmed to IGN that the game will be available at launch on PC, iOS, and Android when it is released later this year.

Gwent was available on consoles from December 2018 to June 2020, while another spin-off, The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker, is still available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

But game director Vladimir Tortsov said on the latest This Week in Gwent - a weekly stream hosted by Burza - that there are currently no plans to bring this new game to consoles.

"With consoles, we left them for a reason," he said. "There was obviously some good about them otherwise it wouldn’t be released on consoles in the first place, but for live service games with frequent updates it was a really tough experience.

"Overall, since we’re not there, we’re not planning to bring any of our spin-offs to consoles at this point."

CD Projekt Red revealed the new spin-off, codenamed Project Golden Nekker, to IGN in January, saying it aims to provide a "captivating single-player experience" different to the mainline multiplayer version of Gwent.

While Thronebreaker is also a single-player spin-off, taking the form of an RPG where players battle using Gwent cards, Project Golden Nekker will be something else entirely – we just don't know what that is right now.

CD Projekt Red hasn't yet confirmed a release date for the game but all previous Witcher titles, including both Gwent games, have been released in either May or October, making the latter a likely candidate for Project Golden Nekker's release.

Some of the cards set to feature in the game were already released into the multiplayer Gwent earlier this month, including the Golden Nekker itself, with future card drops set to arrive in July, October, and December.

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

Alongside the reveal of the second wave of Xbox Game Pass entries in April, Xbox has also announced that Assassin's Creed Origins and For Honor: Marching Fire Edition will be coming to Game Pass in the near future.

According to an Xbox Wire blog post, both games will be coming to Game Pass within the next two months. 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins will be the first Assassin's Creed entry to join the game subscription service.

For Honor Marching Fire Edition will also hit PC Game Pass via Ubisoft Connect. For Honor's base game is already available on Game Pass, so the Marching Fire Edition will therefore become a free upgrade option for those using Game Pass on your console or via the cloud.

'In the next two months' means we should be seeing Assassin's Creed Origins and For Honor: Marching Fire Edition hit Xbox Game Pass by the end of June 2022.

This news comes after Ubisoft put one of its most recent games Rainbow Six Extraction on Xbox Game Pass day one of launch in January. Ubisoft also confirmed last year that it's currently working on 60FPS support for Origins, but there's no word on whether this will be ready when the game comes to Game Pass.

We also already know a few other games that will launch on the service in May. This includes Trek to Yomi on May 5 and Sniper Elite 5 on May 26. Games already coming to Game Pass this month include Bugsnax, 7 Day to Die, MLB The Show 22, Life is Strange True Colors, and more.

Best Xbox Deals Right Now: $5 Off Game Pass

You can also get 3-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $39.99 at Amazon right now, which is $5 off the asking price (this will also stack with your current membership).

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is heading to The Simpsons for a jam sesh with Lisa.

'When Billie Met Lisa' is an upcoming special heading to Disney+, which will see Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell join The Simpsons for a one-off short, When Billie Met Lisa.

The chart-topping, Oscar-winning duo will discover Lisa’s musical talent when the long-suffering Simpson is looking for a quiet place to practice her saxophone. Impressed with the young musician, Eilish then invites her for a very special jam session.

Billie is guest starring in @TheSimpsons: “When Billie Met Lisa”, the new short streaming April 22 on @disneyplus. pic.twitter.com/baLe70Gxad

— billie eilish (@billieeilish) April 14, 2022

It’s not the first time a musical powerhouse has made the leap into animated waters, with Lady Gaga joining The Simpsons back in 2012 for the episode, Lisa Goes Gaga. However, audiences and critics panned the crossover, which was voted one of the worst Simpsons episodes of all time by the fans.

This new animated short is the fourth in a limited series made specifically for Disney+ and comes hot on the heels of a crossover that featured just about every Disney character possible.

There was even a Marvel-themed short, The Good, The Bad, and The Loki which featured, well… you can probably guess. Not to mention Star Wars: The Force Awakens From Its Nap.

Meanwhile, Eilish and O’Connell have been wracking up awards as they landed Best Song at the Academy Awards for their James Bond anthem, “No Time to Die”. Eilish also recently became the youngest ever headliner at Coachella.

Whether or not this new Simpsons short will be a success remains to be seen, but it could make for an interesting crossover, especially if Eilish and O’Connell debut any new music as part of the deal.

Want to read more about The Simpsons? Check out the hilarious Steamed Hams adventure game as well as a fan’s working version of The Simpsons’ iconic TV set.

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

Nintendo and Monolith Soft have announced that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will launch on July 29 for Nintendo Switch. The game was previously set for a September release date, but it has actually been pushed forward.

A new trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was posted too, which you can watch below. A new press release adds some fresh gameplay details, including the fact that you'll be able to battle with up to seven characters at once.

The game follows protagonists Noah and Mio as they navigate the turbulence between the nations of Keves and Agnus. Noah's party will consist of six characters from both nations, including Lanz, Sena, Eunie, and Taion. They set out to uncover the truth behind the conflict, as well as reach Swordsmarch, a land with a giant sword.

Noah wields a sword in battle and specializes in close range combat, and Mio is a Zephyr, who is able to draw enemy attention and evade their attacks. The other party members will have their own character classes and players can change them during the game as they progress throughout the story.

The central gameplay mechanic is called the Interlink system, a tag-team kind of affair. Noah and Mio, Lanz and Sena, as well as Eunie and Talon, will be able to utilize the Interlink system during battle. They can combine with each other to create a giant form called Ouroboros.

Nintendo also revealed a Special Edition of the game which will be exclusive to the My Nintendo Store. It includes a premium package with artwork from Masatsugu Saito, a copy of the game, a 250 hardcover , and a steelbook case.

Take a look at the #XenobladeChronicles3 Special Edition, which will launch exclusively on the My Nintendo Store!

Stay tuned for more info on when pre-orders will open. pic.twitter.com/BJ8uIo19vI

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 19, 2022

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced back in February during a Nintendo Direct.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Elden Ring legend Let Me Solo Her has now been modded into the game as an NPC summon.

As spotted by VG247, FromSoftware content creator Garden of Eyes has created a mod to add a "Puppet of the Legend" spirit summon to Elden Ring, immortalising the player who went viral last week.

Complete with its own artwork and flavour text, the Puppet of the Legend summon is an exact replica of Let Me Solo Her that's seemingly just as capable of taking down ultra-touch boss Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

The description calls the dual katana-wielding, half-naked hero a "warrior whose skill was a match to the Rot Goddess herself." It replaces the Lone Wolf Ashes item, and is currently only available by subscribing to Garden of Eyes' mod-focused Patreon.

Unlike the real-life player, the Puppet of the Legend summon can be called upon in any area of the game that allows for Ash summons, meaning players can enjoy much of Elden Ring with the legendary hero by their side.

Garden of Eyes' video introducing the mod highlights its multifunctionality, as the Puppet of the Legend can also be seen taking on a number of other Elden Ring bosses (by itself, naturally).

Players might well need the summon, or Let Me Solo Her himself, to defeat Malenia as the latest patch nerfs a popular way to take down the infamous boss. It does buff dozens of other weapons in the game though and even adds new quest events for another infamous FromSoftware villain: Patches the Hyena.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."

To make those choices with the best available information, check out our full guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.

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