Warning: this article contains mild spoilers for Elden Ring.

In the lead up to Elden Ring’s launch, there’s been one breakout character who has been embraced by the community: Pot Boy. Later called Pot Friend by Bandai Namco, this sentient ceramic has captured the hearts of thousands.

But we’ve got bad news about the pot boys. They’re definitely not all friends.

The most famous of the pot boys is Alexander. He’s the one you may have seen in gameplay clips who is stuck in the ground in need of aid. Don’t worry about this big lad; he’s a friend, and will even clue you in on an important location.

But not every one of his kin is so friendly. Within the walls of some of Elden Ring’s dungeons, you’ll come across both small and large versions of these pot boys. Officially known as Living Jars, the large versions can be particularly aggressive, and use a variety of rolling and slamming attacks to pulverize your health bar. Your only options in these instances are to either run away or - more likely - shatter that ceramic exterior so the jar’s red liquid insides can splatter all over the floor and walls.

We're sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

For more, take a look at our Elden Ring review (which has contributed to it being one of the best reviewed games in modern history), as well as the news that a recurring Souls joke is back for Elden Ring. And if you want to make your own Pot Friend, check out our latest episode of Kitbash Creatures.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Warning: this article contains mild spoilers for Elden Ring.

In the lead up to Elden Ring’s launch, there’s been one breakout character who has been embraced by the community: Pot Boy. Later called Pot Friend by Bandai Namco, this sentient ceramic has captured the hearts of thousands.

But we’ve got bad news about the pot boys. They’re definitely not all friends.

The most famous of the pot boys is Alexander. He’s the one you may have seen in gameplay clips who is stuck in the ground in need of aid. Don’t worry about this big lad; he’s a friend, and will even clue you in on an important location.

But not every one of his kin is so friendly. Within the walls of some of Elden Ring’s dungeons, you’ll come across both small and large versions of these pot boys. Officially known as Living Jars, the large versions can be particularly aggressive, and use a variety of rolling and slamming attacks to pulverize your health bar. Your only options in these instances are to either run away or - more likely - shatter that ceramic exterior so the jar’s red liquid insides can splatter all over the floor and walls.

We're sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

For more, take a look at our Elden Ring review (which has contributed to it being one of the best reviewed games in modern history), as well as the news that a recurring Souls joke is back for Elden Ring. And if you want to make your own Pot Friend, check out our latest episode of Kitbash Creatures.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama has said that he'd like to someday return to psychological horror and create another game like his spooky classic.

Talking as part of a Q&A session about his new studio, Bokeh Game Studio, Toyama explained that he does hope to one day create something similar to Silent Hill, but that right now he has the ability to make something more action-packed, and so that's what he wants to chase with Bokeh's first game, Slitterhead.

"I want someday to do something with some classic psychological horror themes like I did with Silent Hill," he said. "However, I’d rather do that when working with really limited resources, such as budget or having to focus on one individual. Right now, we have staff with the ability to work on action. I want to leverage their skills to go in another direction."

"Still, I also want to make something more personal someday," he concluded.

Slitterhead features action and combat sequences, but also involves aspects of more cerebral horror. "I wanted a game that could be enjoyed for its action, yet whose concept doesn’t solely revolve around killing enemies," Toyama explained. "It conflicts with the mind, making the players reluctant to enter certain fights. I want to achieve both action and drama with this game."

So while Slitterhead won't be like Silent Hill, there's still more to the game than just fighting human-eating monsters. Bokeh aims to use horror to "deepen the sense of immersion for the player" and won't just focus on gore.

Toyama has said previously that he believes remaking Silent Hill would be a more difficult task than the recent Resident Evil remakes. Perhaps, then, we can hold out hope for a spiritual sequel from him instead.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama has said that he'd like to someday return to psychological horror and create another game like his spooky classic.

Talking as part of a Q&A session about his new studio, Bokeh Game Studio, Toyama explained that he does hope to one day create something similar to Silent Hill, but that right now he has the ability to make something more action-packed, and so that's what he wants to chase with Bokeh's first game, Slitterhead.

"I want someday to do something with some classic psychological horror themes like I did with Silent Hill," he said. "However, I’d rather do that when working with really limited resources, such as budget or having to focus on one individual. Right now, we have staff with the ability to work on action. I want to leverage their skills to go in another direction."

"Still, I also want to make something more personal someday," he concluded.

Slitterhead features action and combat sequences, but also involves aspects of more cerebral horror. "I wanted a game that could be enjoyed for its action, yet whose concept doesn’t solely revolve around killing enemies," Toyama explained. "It conflicts with the mind, making the players reluctant to enter certain fights. I want to achieve both action and drama with this game."

So while Slitterhead won't be like Silent Hill, there's still more to the game than just fighting human-eating monsters. Bokeh aims to use horror to "deepen the sense of immersion for the player" and won't just focus on gore.

Toyama has said previously that he believes remaking Silent Hill would be a more difficult task than the recent Resident Evil remakes. Perhaps, then, we can hold out hope for a spiritual sequel from him instead.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Quentin Tarantino is reportedly in early talks to direct some episodes of Justified: City Primeval, the FX limited series starring Timothy Olyphant as US Marshal Raylan Givens.

According to Deadline, Tarantino might be taking a seat in the director's chair for "one or two episodes" of the upcoming Justified miniseries, which was officially given the green light at the beginning of the year. The project would reunite the acclaimed filmmaker with series lead Timothy Olyphant, who starred in Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

As the report notes, Tarantino is also a devoted fan of Elmore Leonard, the late writer who penned the Fire in the Hole novella that eventually became the source material of FX's Justified series. The director has optioned several of Leonard's titles throughout his career and even adapted the author's Rum Punch novel into the 1997 film Jackie Brown.

FX's Justified spinoff will be based on another of Leonard's works, the 1980 novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, though in this case, Olyphant's character will be stepping into the central role. He will cross paths with Clement Mansell, "a violent, sociopathic desperado who's already slipped through the fingers of Detroit's finest once and aims to do so again."

Per the show's logline, "Mansell's lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive."

The original Justified series ran from 2010 to 2015 and featured Olyphant in every episode. The creator of Justified, Graham Yost, is on board to executive produce City Primeval, with Dave Andron and Michael Dinner as co-showrunners. Dinner will also serve as lead director on the new limited series, which will pick up eight years after Givens left Kentucky.

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

Quentin Tarantino is reportedly in early talks to direct some episodes of Justified: City Primeval, the FX limited series starring Timothy Olyphant as US Marshal Raylan Givens.

According to Deadline, Tarantino might be taking a seat in the director's chair for "one or two episodes" of the upcoming Justified miniseries, which was officially given the green light at the beginning of the year. The project would reunite the acclaimed filmmaker with series lead Timothy Olyphant, who starred in Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

As the report notes, Tarantino is also a devoted fan of Elmore Leonard, the late writer who penned the Fire in the Hole novella that eventually became the source material of FX's Justified series. The director has optioned several of Leonard's titles throughout his career and even adapted the author's Rum Punch novel into the 1997 film Jackie Brown.

FX's Justified spinoff will be based on another of Leonard's works, the 1980 novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, though in this case, Olyphant's character will be stepping into the central role. He will cross paths with Clement Mansell, "a violent, sociopathic desperado who's already slipped through the fingers of Detroit's finest once and aims to do so again."

Per the show's logline, "Mansell's lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive."

The original Justified series ran from 2010 to 2015 and featured Olyphant in every episode. The creator of Justified, Graham Yost, is on board to executive produce City Primeval, with Dave Andron and Michael Dinner as co-showrunners. Dinner will also serve as lead director on the new limited series, which will pick up eight years after Givens left Kentucky.

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

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Elden Ring’s first location.

Elden Ring has continued FromSoftware’s long running in-joke by once again including a character that Souls fans love to hate.

In Elden Ring’s opening location of Limgrave players can find Patches, the bald trickster who has constantly pulled pranks on players throughout the Soulsborne series of games.

This time around, Patches can be found in the Murkwater Cave. Should you wish to find him you’ll want to follow the river north and keep your eye out for a dungeon entrance. Once again he can be a valuable ally thanks to his collection of wares on sale (you might want to inspect his inventory before heading into Stormveil Castle) but he’ll prove a nuisance before offering you any help, naturally.

This is the sixth incarnation of Patches. He first appeared in Demon’s Souls as Patches the Hyena, and was later seen in Dark Souls (as Trusty Patches), Bloodborne (as Patches the Spider), and Dark Souls 3 and its Ringed City DLC (as Unbreakable Patches). Dark Souls 2 also features a Patches-style character, but was known as Mild-Mannered Pate.

For more, take a look at our Elden Ring review (which has contributed to it being one of the best reviewed games in modern history), as well as our stories on how a small change has made playing in co-op easier, and how a tutorial dungeon helps out new players.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Elden Ring’s first location.

Elden Ring has continued FromSoftware’s long running in-joke by once again including a character that Souls fans love to hate.

In Elden Ring’s opening location of Limgrave players can find Patches, the bald trickster who has constantly pulled pranks on players throughout the Soulsborne series of games.

This time around, Patches can be found in the Murkwater Cave. Should you wish to find him you’ll want to follow the river north and keep your eye out for a dungeon entrance. Once again he can be a valuable ally thanks to his collection of wares on sale (you might want to inspect his inventory before heading into Stormveil Castle) but he’ll prove a nuisance before offering you any help, naturally.

This is the sixth incarnation of Patches. He first appeared in Demon’s Souls as Patches the Hyena, and was later seen in Dark Souls (as Trusty Patches), Bloodborne (as Patches the Spider), and Dark Souls 3 and its Ringed City DLC (as Unbreakable Patches). Dark Souls 2 also features a Patches-style character, but was known as Mild-Mannered Pate.

For more, take a look at our Elden Ring review (which has contributed to it being one of the best reviewed games in modern history), as well as our stories on how a small change has made playing in co-op easier, and how a tutorial dungeon helps out new players.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

DC's flagship Batman comic is getting a new writer this summer. As announced at the ComicsPro retailer convention, Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story) will take the reins of the series beginning with July's Batman #125.

While issue #125 will mark Zdarsky's debut on the series, the art team should be familiar to readers who have been following Batman over the past two years. Artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey will remain onboard Batman, with issue #125 kicking off a new six-part story arc called "Failsafe."

"Failsafe" sees Batman plagued by nightmares of a future disaster, even as he faces a mysterious enemy hellbent on destroying him by any means necessary. This story will also place a renewed emphasis on the Batman/Robin dynamic, with Tim Drake returning to Batman's side once more.

"I don’t want to give away too much about where we’re going here," Zdarsky wrote on Substack. "Anyone who’s read my Daredevil run knows I like to plan things out and keep things under wrap so people just enjoy what they’re reading instead of enjoying spoilers before they read it. All I’ll say is, our first arc, Failsafe, is Batman’s Doomsday. It’s non-stop action and puts Batman in a very different place by the end of it."

Zdarsky also confirmed he'll continue to write Daredevil at Marvel for the foreseeable future. If not the first writer to work on both the main Batman and Daredevil titles, Zdarsky does have the distinction of being the first to write both books at the same time.

It's unknown how Zdarsky's run will connect to the upcoming Dark Crisis crossover, which is being overseen by current Batman writer Joshua Williamson. Dark Crisis explores the dramatic fallout of Justice League #75, wherein all but one of the League will be apparently killed in action. Based on the art revealed for Dark Crisis so far, Batman appears to be among the dead, so "Failsafe" may be set before the events of Justice League #75.

Also announced at ComicsPro, DC is launching a new Japanese mecha-inspired series called DC Mech.

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

DC's flagship Batman comic is getting a new writer this summer. As announced at the ComicsPro retailer convention, Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story) will take the reins of the series beginning with July's Batman #125.

While issue #125 will mark Zdarsky's debut on the series, the art team should be familiar to readers who have been following Batman over the past two years. Artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey will remain onboard Batman, with issue #125 kicking off a new six-part story arc called "Failsafe."

"Failsafe" sees Batman plagued by nightmares of a future disaster, even as he faces a mysterious enemy hellbent on destroying him by any means necessary. This story will also place a renewed emphasis on the Batman/Robin dynamic, with Tim Drake returning to Batman's side once more.

"I don’t want to give away too much about where we’re going here," Zdarsky wrote on Substack. "Anyone who’s read my Daredevil run knows I like to plan things out and keep things under wrap so people just enjoy what they’re reading instead of enjoying spoilers before they read it. All I’ll say is, our first arc, Failsafe, is Batman’s Doomsday. It’s non-stop action and puts Batman in a very different place by the end of it."

Zdarsky also confirmed he'll continue to write Daredevil at Marvel for the foreseeable future. If not the first writer to work on both the main Batman and Daredevil titles, Zdarsky does have the distinction of being the first to write both books at the same time.

It's unknown how Zdarsky's run will connect to the upcoming Dark Crisis crossover, which is being overseen by current Batman writer Joshua Williamson. Dark Crisis explores the dramatic fallout of Justice League #75, wherein all but one of the League will be apparently killed in action. Based on the art revealed for Dark Crisis so far, Batman appears to be among the dead, so "Failsafe" may be set before the events of Justice League #75.

Also announced at ComicsPro, DC is launching a new Japanese mecha-inspired series called DC Mech.

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