Call of Duty World League Challenger Division Dates Announced
The first series of events in the Call of Duty World League Challenge Division have been announced.
The Challenge Division is for amateur players outside of the Pro Division to help them forge their own path to the Call of Duty Championship. Top performing teams in the Challenge Division events will make it to the Stage 1 Relegation tournament, where they will take on pro teams to earn their own place in the Pro Division.
The first three European online events have prize pools of $5,000, and will take place from February 20 - 21, February 27 - 28, and March 12 - 13.
Europe will also be hosting its first live event, the EGL Open, at the Truman Brewery in London from March 5 - 6, with a prize pool of $25,000.
The Division Open Beta Pre-Load Now Available
You can now pre-load Tom Clancy's The Division for the beta weekend on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
The upcoming open beta allows you to play The Division for free starting from February 18 on Xbox One, and February 19 on PS4 and PC. It will run through to February 21 on all platforms.
You'll be able to rank up to level eight with your agent, and up to rank 12 in the Dark Zone. In addition, there's a new mission exclusive to the open beta that players in the closed beta last month won't have seen.
Ultra-Detailed Final Fantasy 7 Remake Action Figures Revealed
Play Arts Kai took to the show floor at Toy Fair 2016 to show off its range of Final Fantasy figures.
The gallery below shows off the impressively detailed models including Cloud Strife, Lightning and Barret, as well as some cute Final Fantasy plush toys.
Toy Fair 2016, which took place in New York over the weekend, also had more Play Arts Kai figures on show, ranging from Batman to Halo.
Make sure you keep it on IGN for all your action figure needs.
Matt Porter is a freelance writer based in London. Make sure to visit what he thinks is the best website in the world, but is actually just his Twitter page.
Nintendo Account Sign-ups Are Now Available
Sign-ups are now open for Nintendo Accounts, the company's new system that bridges the software between consoles, PCs, and smart devices.
The first time Nintendo Accounts will be of use will be in the upcoming smartphone app Miitomo, and pre-registration is now open for the game as well.
Also launching in March is the My Nintendo programme, which is the replacement for Club Nintendo. You'll be using Points to exchange for various rewards, and if you pre-register for Miimoto you'll receive a Platinum Point straight away.
League of Legends’ 2016 World Championship Is in North America
League of Legends' 2016 World Championship will travel across the United States from September 29 through October 29.
The tournament is broken into four individual stages—group, from September 29 to October 2 and October 6 to October 9 in San Francisco; quarterfinals, from October 13 to October 16 in Chicago; semifinals from October 21 to October 22 in New York City; and finals, on October 29 in Los Angeles. There, a new World Champion will be crowned.
Riot Games will bring the World Championship to "iconic stadiums" throughout the country, including Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center, both of which hold over 18,000 people.
Bryan Fuller’s Star Trek and Daniel Bryan’s Retirement
Hey guys, Eric and Matt here with a podcast that took -- gasp! -- just a couple of weeks to post since the last one! Join us as we quest to return to a semi-regular, bi-weekly-ish schedule!
This time out, we discuss...
-Bryan Fuller being named the showrunner on the new Star Trek series-Master of None getting renewed for Season 2
-Damon Wayans joining the Lethal Weapon TV pilot
-Hayley Atwell signing onto a new pilot... and the fear that causes for Agent Carter fans
-Jackie Earle Hayley joining Preacher
-Lee Majors joining Ash vs Evil Dead
-Ashley Judd joining Twin Peaks
-AMC ordering a new talk show, Geeking Out, with Kevin Smith and Greg Grunberg
How to Watch the DICE Summit
The DICE Summit in Las Vegas is almost here, and once again features a packed schedule of speakers across all facets of the video game industry.
Highlights this year include Bethesda's Todd Howard, Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett, and Hideo Kojima in conversation with Guillermo del Toro.
We'll be streaming the Summit (and the DICE Awards) so keep reading for all the info you need regarding the what, when, and where.
You can watch the DICE Summit on these platforms:
Loot Crate Launches Games Specific Service Loot Gaming
The monthly grab bag service for delivered goodies, Loot Crate, has today launched its games-related option for subscribers.
Loot Gaming operates pretty much like Loot Crate's other series of themed collectibles. For $25 a month customers receive "4-6 premium items" based on various series of video games. Most of the items are created specifically for Loot Crate.
So far Loot Crate announced memorabilia from franchises including The Elder Scrolls (Skyrim was cited in particular), Super Mario Bros., Halo, Heroes of the Storm, and Street Fighter.
In addition, subscribers get "a game manual style booklet" detailing the products in each package, as well as a Loot Gaming branded pin. Finally, packages will occasionally contain in-game DLC, though what sort, and for which games, is so far unspecified.
The Simpsons Will Feature a Live Segment With Homer
Homer Simpson will respond live to fan questions during the final three minutes of The Simpsons' May 15, improv-comedy focused episode.
As Homer, voice actor Dan Castellaneta will be "discussing topical subjects and responding to fan questions" during the live segment -- which will air live on the network's East and West Coast broadcasts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Those hoping to have their questions answered must tweet using "#HomerLive" between May 1-4.
Showrunner Al Jean says the live segment is being made possible by a mocap technology that allows Castellaneta's voice and movements to be quickly translated into animation.
NECA Toys Shows Off Nathan Drake Sackboy Figure
NECA Toys is releasing two new Sackboy action figures this year—Quizzical Sackboy and Nathan Drake Sackboy. The third in the line, Happy Sackboy, is a re-release from the toy company's first wave of Little Big Planet action figures.
Each figure is posable, and stands a little over five inches tall. No price has been announced, though we do know that all three will hit shelves in June.
The first wave of Little Big Planet figures was released last February, and brought Sad Sackboy, Happy Sackboy, and Kratos Sackboy.
NECA Toys had its new Sackboy Nathan Drake alongside its Ultimate Nathan Drake figure at New York Toy Fair this past weekend. NECA's Nathan Drake figure is a bit larger—standing seven inches tall—and will cost around $25.