With Elden Ring finally out in the wild, eager players are undoubtedly combing every inch of FromSoftware's new fantasy world to find the influences of writer George R. R. Martin. Martin, the author of the Game of Thrones series, was famously brought onto Elden Ring to write the backstory for the in-game universe.

But in a new interview with New Yorker, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that he placed a few key restrictions on what Martin could do.

According to Miyazaki, Martin primarily wrote snippets of text about the world's history, its characters, and mythology, including the destruction of the Elden Ring and the subsequent scattering of shards. While this was something we learned previously, Miyazaki further clarified why this was the case.

“In our games, the story must always serve the player experience,” Miyazaki said. “If [Martin] had written the game’s story, I would have worried that we might have to drift from that. I wanted him to be able to write freely and not to feel restrained by some obscure mechanic that might have to change in development.”

It's an approach that, in retrospect, makes sense for the kinds of stories Miyazaki and FromSoftware tell. Dark Souls and its offshoots are rich with lore, but it's often presented through item descriptions or heavily implied, left to spark the imagination of lore-hungry fans. FromSoftware also tends to depict worlds well after some great calamity has occurred, encouraging players to discover what became of the major characters, for fates better or (usually) worse.

“That power of imagination is important to me,” he said. “Offering room for user interpretation creates a sense of communication with the audience—and, of course, communication between users in the community. This is something that I enjoy seeing unfold with our games, and that has continued to influence my work.”

Martin and Miyazaki were similarly influenced by the friendship the pair struck up prior to Martin working on Elden Ring. Miyazaki considers himself a fan of Martin's work, including his early science fiction writing, and despite a considerable age gap between the two, both were able to bond as conversations progressed and the two met several times, even in Martin's hometown.

The admiration goes both ways as Miyazaki says he was surprised to learn that Martin was a fan of the Dark Souls games, though that might have been the influence of one of Martin's staff members.

Of course, if you've played enough Elden Ring, you've probably come to realize exactly what Miyazaki has done with Martin's work. Miyazaki himself said earlier this year that he thinks Martin may be "shocked" by what he's done to the characters he created.

If you're still on the fence, you can check out our review of Elden Ring, or dig into our Elden Ring guide wiki for boss walkthroughs, item locations, and tips for getting started.

(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/wretch for IGN.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Andrew Garfield may have wowed audiences in Spider-Man: No Way Home but he’s seemingly not planning on returning as Spider-Man anytime soon.

During an interview with Variety, the 38-year-old sometime superhero revealed that he has no plans to put on his Spidey suit again – even if he knows that many won;t believe him.

“No plans, that’s the truth,” he said. “Everyone’s gonna call me a liar for the rest of my life. I’m the boy who cried wolf.”

Garfield's respons will likely disappoint many fans, who previously caused 'Amazing Spider-Man 3' to trend on Twitter with their calls for the actor to get another solo movie. Even the MCU's Peter One, Tom Holland wants to see a new Garfield Spidey movie, but it looks like it's not in the works just yet.

Andrew Garfield made a stunning cameo alongside Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home, when not one, but three Spider-Men teamed up to take on a rogue’s gallery resembling the Sinister Six. However, he was forced to keep it all quiet beforehand.

During the course of production, numerous rumors began to circulate, saying Garfield would return to the role of Spider-Man, but the denials came thick and fast.

Even as he worked on Tick, Tick… Boom! with Lin Manuel Miranda, he wouldn’t admit that he was returning to his fellow cast and crew members.

“To his credit, he never said it to me,” explained Miranda to Variety. “He always denied it, but I was there the day it leaked. He was on my set in November when it leaked that he was in talks and I quietly went up to him and said, ‘Bro, are you in the new ‘Spider-Man?” and he went, ‘Shut up, shut up.’ It was the worst acting I’d ever seen him do. And I went, ‘He’s gotta practice that, that denial,’ and he got very good at it, but I was there when he first workshopped it.”

Miranda added: “The euphemism became, ‘I’m seeing a friend in Atlanta, and I was like, ‘Say hi to your friend in Atlanta for me.’ His friend is two other Spidermen.”

Possibly unlike Garfield, Charlie Cox, who also appeared in No Way Home, confirmed that he will be back in the MCU. There are even ‘possibilities’ to see Venom head to the MCU proper, too.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their own versions of Spider-Man. They’re joined by Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jon Favreau.

Jon Watts directed the movie from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, based on characters created by comic book legend, Stan Lee.

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

The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet reveal trailer is full of brand new information, but eagle-eyed fans believe it also helps prove there was a hint to the new games inside 2019's Sword and Shield.

Reddit user DDD-HERO posted an image of Sword and Shield's Hotel Ionia in Circhester. Since launch the hotel has featured a roped-off room with wallpaper decorated with oranges and grapes, seemingly not seen elsewhere in the game.

While this sounds odd, oranges and grapes also appear to be a part of the visual theming in Scarlet and Violet. The new games' location appears to be based on Spain, which is known for its blood oranges and grapes – both fruits feature throughout the new trailer, and could be seen to represent the colours of scarlet and violet.

The gameplay clips don't reference this too much - although we do see a few orange trees in the new open world - but the live-action portion of the trailer shows mounted shields featuring the two fruits, and a fruit bowl full of them too.

Fans therefore think that developer Game Freak was teasing Scarlet and Violet in Sword and Shield by including the cordoned-off area. Other theories go as far as to presume the area will be opened up and include cross-generation interactivity when the new games are released.

You can see the images of oranges and grapes in the Scarlet and Violet trailer below:

An update to DDD-HERO hero's Reddit post includes what's being seen as another potential reference to the future games, this time in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In the original Diamond and Pearl, a patch of flowers in the games' starting town were white, but the remakes change them to a scarlet and violet pattern.

The Pokémon Company announced Scarlet and Violet on February 27 to celebrate Pokémon Day, and even revealed the new starters: Grass Cat Sprigatito, Fire Croc Fuecoco, and Water Duckling Quaxly.

Coming in late 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are promised to be an "evolutionary" step for the franchise set in an "open world where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness."

Several other announcements came from the Pokémon Presents showcase, including a big new update for Pokémon Legends: Arceus and more. Read all about them in our roundup of the celebration.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Nearly 14 years after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered in theaters, Indiana Jones 5 has officially wrapped filming.

The news was shared by both Indiana Jones 5 director James Mangold and producer Frank Marshall. They each shared an image to commemorate the moment, with Mangold posting a still from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Marshall presenting a hat that says "Indy."

That's a wrap!!! #indianajones pic.twitter.com/pQRTw0oOXx

— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) February 27, 2022

And so begins the first day after the storm.. pic.twitter.com/nb0jnHIeec

— Mangold (@mang0ld) February 27, 2022

We still have very little info as to what Indiana Jones 5 will be besides knowing that it will "conclude this iconic character's journey." However, we do know that it was once set to be directed by Steven Spielberg before he decided to hand the franchise to a generation after disagreements over the script. Spielberg is still helping out as a producer and Mangold, the director behind Logan and Ford v Ferrari, is helming the project.

Harrison Ford will still star as Indiana Jones, but this very well may be the last time we see him don the iconic hat and whip. Even though Ford may not play Indy again, Spielberg confirmed that the franchise will "certainly continue after that."

Indiana Jones 5 was first announced in 2016 with a premiere date of July 19, 2019, but it has suffered many delays and is now set to arrive in theaters on June 30, 2023.

Joining Ford for this new adventure, that may partially take place in 1969, will be Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, and Antonio Banderas.

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.

Nearly 14 years after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered in theaters, Indiana Jones 5 has officially wrapped filming.

The news was shared by both Indiana Jones 5 director James Mangold and producer Frank Marshall. They each shared an image to commemorate the moment, with Mangold posting a still from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Marshall presenting a hat that says "Indy."

That's a wrap!!! #indianajones pic.twitter.com/pQRTw0oOXx

— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) February 27, 2022

And so begins the first day after the storm.. pic.twitter.com/nb0jnHIeec

— Mangold (@mang0ld) February 27, 2022

We still have very little info as to what Indiana Jones 5 will be besides knowing that it will "conclude this iconic character's journey." However, we do know that it was once set to be directed by Steven Spielberg before he decided to hand the franchise to a generation after disagreements over the script. Spielberg is still helping out as a producer and Mangold, the director behind Logan and Ford v Ferrari, is helming the project.

Harrison Ford will still star as Indiana Jones, but this very well may be the last time we see him don the iconic hat and whip. Even though Ford may not play Indy again, Spielberg confirmed that the franchise will "certainly continue after that."

Indiana Jones 5 was first announced in 2016 with a premiere date of July 19, 2019, but it has suffered many delays and is now set to arrive in theaters on June 30, 2023.

Joining Ford for this new adventure, that may partially take place in 1969, will be Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renee Wilson, and Antonio Banderas.

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.

The Uncharted movie has not only won the weekend domestic box office again with $23.2 million in ticket sales, but it has also crossed $220 million globally.

As reported by Variety, Uncharted's second weekend in theaters helped bring its domestic total to $83.3 million. Internationally, it brought in another $35 million from 64 markets to make its overseas total $143 million.

It's important to note that this strong performance by Uncharted has all happened without the help of China as it doesn't premiere there until March 14.

Channing Tatum's Dog secured a second-place finish with $10.1 million domestically, enough to bring its North American total to $30.8 million. Once again, the success of this film that has a $15 million production budget is undoubtedly linked to its tagline "Don't worry, the dog doesn't die."

Spider-Man: No Way Home took third place this weekend with $5.7 million in ticket sales, making its domestic total $779.8 million. Globally, the second Tom Holland-led film to make the top five box office winners has passed the $1.85 billion mark.

Death on the Nile and Jackass Forever rounded out the top five by earning $4.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively. Newcomers Studio 666 ($1.5 million) and Cyrano ($1.4 million) failed to impress at the box office and placed eighth and ninth, respectively.

For more on Uncharted, check out Sony Pictures CEO's comments on Uncharted already becoming a "new hit movie franchise for the company," our explainer of the ending and the post-credits scene, and our Uncharted review.

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.

The Uncharted movie has not only won the weekend domestic box office again with $23.2 million in ticket sales, but it has also crossed $220 million globally.

As reported by Variety, Uncharted's second weekend in theaters helped bring its domestic total to $83.3 million. Internationally, it brought in another $35 million from 64 markets to make its overseas total $143 million.

It's important to note that this strong performance by Uncharted has all happened without the help of China as it doesn't premiere there until March 14.

Channing Tatum's Dog secured a second-place finish with $10.1 million domestically, enough to bring its North American total to $30.8 million. Once again, the success of this film that has a $15 million production budget is undoubtedly linked to its tagline "Don't worry, the dog doesn't die."

Spider-Man: No Way Home took third place this weekend with $5.7 million in ticket sales, making its domestic total $779.8 million. Globally, the second Tom Holland-led film to make the top five box office winners has passed the $1.85 billion mark.

Death on the Nile and Jackass Forever rounded out the top five by earning $4.5 million and $3.1 million, respectively. Newcomers Studio 666 ($1.5 million) and Cyrano ($1.4 million) failed to impress at the box office and placed eighth and ninth, respectively.

For more on Uncharted, check out Sony Pictures CEO's comments on Uncharted already becoming a "new hit movie franchise for the company," our explainer of the ending and the post-credits scene, and our Uncharted review.

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.

Today is Pokemon's 26th birthday, and The Pokemon Company celebrated by sharing a Pokemon Presents that revealed, among other things, that the open world Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be headed to the Nintendo Switch in 2022.

Pokemon Day 2022 also unveiled new updates for Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and many more. To help ensure you don't miss a thing, we've gathered all the biggest announcements below.

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet Announced for Late 2022

Generation 9 will officially begin later this year when Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet arrive on Nintendo Switch in 2022. This open world game "where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness" will be an "evolutionary" step for the Pokemon franchise.

We were also introduced to the starter Pokemon, and they are wonderful. When Trainer begin their journey, they will choose between the Grass Cat Sprigatito, the Fire Croc Fuecoco, or the Water Duckling Quaxly.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Daybreak Update Arrives Later Today

Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Daybreak update (Ver. 1.1.0) will arrive later today and will have Trainers "investigating mysterious mass outbreaks of Pokemon that are popping up all over the HIsui region." They will also be able to battle "powerful opponnents - like Legendary Pokemon and Wardens - adding yet more options to the Pokemon battle experience."

Players will also be able to recieve 30 Ultra Balls, Gigaton Balls, and Jet Balls by entering the password ARCEUSADVENTURE in the Mystery Gifts menu before March 31, 2022.

Furthermore, there will be an online animated series set in Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Hisui region that will launch later in 2022 with an original story.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Trainers Will Be Able to Add Shaymin to Their Party

By using an item called Oak's Letter, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl players will be able to catch the Mythical Pokemon Shaymin by talking to Professor Oak on Route 224.

Pokemon GO to Add Pokemon From the Alolan Region on March 1

Pokemon that call Pokemon Sun and Moon's Alola region home will begin appearing in Pokemon GO on March 1. Until then, Alolan Form Exeggutor will be available to catch.

Pokemon Masters EX Celebrates 2.5 Years With Free Gifts

In celebration of Pokemon Day and it being 2.5 years since Pokemon Masters EX was released, players can earn 3,000 gems and scout 10 sync pairs each day for 10 days for free. Trainers May, Skyla, and Raihan will also become available in special outfits.

Pokemon Cafe ReMix Adds Bonuses for Pokemon Day 2022

In celebration of Pokemon Day 2022, Pokemon Cafe Remix players will be able to enjoy a log-in bonus of a celebratory outfit for Bulbasaur, a "four-day period of an increased chance of Shiny Piplup appearing," and that chance to try out the game's new Delivery feature 11 times for free.

Pokemon Unite Players Can Try Out Mythical Pokemon Hoopa and Earn Its License

The Mythical Pokemon Hoopa has joined Pokemon UNITE and all players can try them out for free in celebration of Pokemon Day 2022. Additionally, those who log in between now and March 14 will receive a Pokemon Day hat and t-shirt in-game. Lastly, full-fury battles were shown and Duraludon was revealed as the next Pokemon to join the roster.

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.

The Pokemon Company has announced that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a brand new open world Pokemon adventure, will be released on Nintendo Switch in late 2022.

Announced During Pokemon Day 2022's Pokemon Presents, these two new Game Freak-developed games will feature a new region and its three starters have already been revealed. At the beginning of the game, Trainers will need to choose between the Grass Cat Sprigatito, the Fire Croc Fuecoco, or the Water Duckling Quaxly.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are an "evolutionary" step for the Pokemon franchise and feature an "open world where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness." The Pokemon Company also notes that "Pokemon can be seen everywhere in this wide-open world - in the skies, in the sea, and on the streets."

While we obviously don't all the differences between the two versions, it has been revealed that Trainers will "have a different outfit depending on which game they are playing."

Sprigatito the Grass Cat has the Overgrow ability and its description says they are "capricious" and "attention-seeking." Fuecoco the Fire Croc has the Blaze ability and is "laid-back" and "does things at its own pace." Quaxly the Water Duckling has the Torrent ability and is "earnest and tidy."

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were only one of the many annoucements during the Pokemon Presents showcase. To hear about all the others, including Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Daybreak update, check out our roundup of the Pokemon Day 2022 celebration

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.

The Batman director Matt Reeves has previously spoken on how he wants this film to be as grounded and realistic as possible for a DC story, and now he has discussed if Superman or other DC heroes also exist in its universe and whether they would be part of future entries set in this world.

Speaking to Collider, Reeves talked about how Batman's long history has led to fans having so many different versions of the Dark Knight in their heads that are all shaped by their interactions with the many other DC characters over the years. For Reeves, he thinks it's important to focus on the "bat verse" and make that foundation as strong as it can be before adding other elements that could warrant their own blockbuster films.

This doesn't mean Reeves' version of Batman v Superman won't ever happen, it just doesn't appear to be in the cards in the near future.

"I suppose it's not impossible to believe that somewhere down the line, they could connect to something else, but that was not my interest in this, and it's not my interest in what we would do in follow-ups at the moment either," Reeves said. "I feel like the whole point in us working with this incredible cast and this incredible crew to realize this movie that sort of, I really believe, is a fresh and different version of these characters is to pursue every ... There are a lot of great characters in the Gotham world and so the idea of leaning into that, that's really my interest right now.”:

Even though a cameo or sequel or spin-off starring Superman may not be anywhere close, does Superman exist in the world Reeves' is creating? While Reeves talked a bit around this answer, he did give a bit of context surrounding it and reiterate his focus on keeping a story as grounded as possible by introducing only one fantastical element to not make it feel too unreal, relatively speaking.

"In this movie, even further I think than what I did in [Planet of the Apes and Cloverfield], I tried to find the practical, believable version," Reeves said. "If suddenly in the Batman world, you discovered that there was an alien that was Superman, there'd be a lot of shock. I mean, people would have to say, oh my God, and maybe that would be the one fantastical element.

"But to be honest with you, that is not the intention at this point, to figure out how to make that come. Look, we should be so lucky that this is a world that people embrace and that they say, oh my God, we want to see what would happen when those things collide. I think if that challenge ever presents itself, it would be an exciting one to explore, but I'd have to try and do it through this lens. You know what I mean? And that is absolutely right, that at the moment, to me, this world is the place that I want to focus.”

The Superman-less The Batman is set to be released on theaters on March 4, 2022. For more, check out our ranking of the movie Batsuits, everything we know about The Batman including when it will arrive on HBO Max, and the history of corruption in Gotham City.

Oh, and we need your help to decide who the best Batman villain is.

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.